All the divisions of Nizhniy Tagil customs processed 2,600 freight declarations in March 2007, which exceeds the figures for the previous March by 21.3%, reports the spokesperson for Ural Customs Administration. Foreign trade turnover within the area of Nizhniy Tagil customs amounted to $255.7 million, which is 20.2% better than a year earlier, with 82.7% of goods transferred to and from the far abroad and 17.3% shipped to and from the countries of the CIS. The import/export ratio was estimated at 12.5% to 87.5%. The freight turnover amounted to more than 407,000 tons, with 238,500 tons of goods shipped to and from the far abroad and 168,700 tons shipped to and from the countries of the CIS.

Money wise, the Netherlands, with their 15.9% share in the area’s goods turnover (worth $40.6 million), happened to be the local companies’ most important foreign partner in March 2007; the share of Italy amounted to $33.2 million, or 13%, that of the U.S. to $30.4 million, or 11.9%, that of Kazakhstan to $21.9 million, or 8.6%, that of the Czech Republic to $20.2 million, or 7.9%, that of Iran to $19.9 million, or 7.8%, that of the Ukraine to %16.9 million, or 6.6%, that of Germany to $14.1 million, or 5.5%, that of China to $8.5 million, or 3.3%, that of Taiwan to $6.8 million, or 2.7%.

Traditionally, the region exports metals and metal-based goods, equipment and machinery, chemical produce, timber, and mineral commodities. Among the goods imported are commodities of more or less the same categories.