PM: Figures on trade between China and Kyrgyzstan differ greatly

"After comparing the figures on the interstate trade between the People's Republic of China and Kyrgyzstan for 2015-2017 it was established that there were significant discrepancies between China's exports and Kyrgyzstan's imports according to the customs statistics of the above countries. For instance, according to China's foreign trade statistics, in 2015, the exports from China to Kyrgyzstan amounted to $4.3 billion, whereas, according to Kyrgyzstan's foreign statistics, the imports amounted to $1 billion. The deviation is $3.3 billion," Bakytzhan Sagintayev told a regular meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Yerevan, Armenia.

He said that in 2016, according to the figures provided by China, the exports amounted to $5.6 billion, while the imports were equal to $1.5 billion as per Kyrgyzstan's figures.

"As you see, the deviation is $4.1 billion," the Kazakh Prime Minister emphasized.

"Assuming that for eight months of 2017, the exports amounted to $2.6 billion according to China's data, and the imports were $900 million according to Kyrgyzstan's figures, it is estimated that the exports from China to the Kyrgyz Republic will amount to $3.9 billion for 2017. Therefore, the deviation will be $2.5 billion," Bakytzhan Sagintayev added.

He said that there are foreign trade discrepancies about Kazakhstan as well.

"For Kazakhstan, in 2016, the share of discrepancies in the total volume of foreign trade turnover was only 9%. As to Kyrgyzstan, the share of discrepancies in the total volume of foreign trade turnover was over 30%, or $4.1 billion in $13.5 billion foreign trade turnover", the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan said.