YEREVAN, August 31, /ARKA/. Armenia’s foreign trade in the first seven months of the year surged by 13.5% year-on-year to 1.075.8 trillion drams or about $2.9 billion, the National Statistical Service reported today. According to its numbers, the exports jumped by 31.4% to $709.5 million and imports rose by 8.7% to $2.196.3 billion. The negative foreign trade gap was $1.486.7 billion.

Humanitarian goods not counted, the trade deficit amounted to $1.449.6 billion. In FOB prices it was $1.148.5 billion.

According to official data, the leading export items were mining industry that grew by 47.7% from a year before to $236.4 million, the export of non-precious metals and items rose by 20.7% to $221.9 million, that of precious and semi-precious stones and items rose by 19% to $93.9 million and exports of finished foods rose by almost 40% to $75.9 million.

The mining sector also accounted for the largest portion of imports rising by 19.2% to $420 million, imports of ground, aerial and water vehicles accounted for $209.5 million of imports growing by 22.1%, the import of finished foods grew by almost 4% to $164.9 million, the import of vegetable goods grew by 28.9% to $136.4 million and the imports of machines, equipment and mechanisms dropped by 4.9% to $296.4 million($1-367.93 drams).  -0-