Ukraine's foreign trade in 2011 grew by 40%, to USD 152 billion, Chairman of the State Customs Service of Ukraine Ihor Kaletnik said at a briefing at the Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday.

"The results of 2011 are the revival of foreign economic activity, the growth of trade, and the movement of vehicles and goods across the customs border," he said.

Kaletnik said that 500 million tons of cargo, 19 million vehicles, including 16 million cars and 2.8 million trucks, were transported across Ukraine's border in 2011.

In addition, 5.5 million rail cars (including 600,000 passenger rail cars) and 130,000 aircraft were also transported across the border. A total of 85 million citizens passed customs clearance procedures on the border.

Kaletnik said that this helped ensure the transfer of UAH 115 billion to the state budget as revenues from customs fees.

"If we subtract gas imports worth USD 15 billion, the balance of exports and imports was positive," he said.

According to the tax authorities, Ukraine's foreign trade in January 2012 totaled USD 10 billion. UAH 8.4 billion was transferred to the state budget. Exports exceeded imports by USD 750 million.

Ukrinform