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5.2.1 Import/export dynamics
Russia extends restrictions on transit of Ukrainian goods to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan . Russia has extended restrictions on the transit of goods from Ukraine to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan for another six months. Since 1 January 2016, Russia has banned the transit of Ukrainian exports through Russian territory. According to the Economic Development Ministry of Ukraine, the volume of transit amounted to about $1.8bn a year. On 2 January of the same year, Ukraine imposed import duties on a wide range of Russian goods and commodity groups in the amount of 1.5% to 19%.
Georgia reported a dramatic hike in exports to Russia in 2017 compared to the previous year . Data released by the state statistics office Geostat shows that the value of Georgian exports to regional giant Russia rose from $206.0mn in 2016 to $396.7mn in 2017. Despite the hostile relations between Tbilisi and Moscow — the two countries went to war in 2008 over the Russian-backed separatist region of South Ossetia — bilateral trade remains strong. Russia was already the top destination for Georgian exports in 2016, but its share of total exports rose sharply from 9.8% in 2016 to 14.5% last year, Geostat data shows.
26 RUSSIA Country Report August 2018 www.intellinews.com