Foreign trade activity

On preliminary data of customs statistics, for 9 months of the current year the foreign trade turnover of the region has made nearby 21,3 million US dollars or 45,2 % to the level of the last year.

Reduction parameters both in export and in import direction of moving of cargoes is still observed. So, export of the JAR makes 10,4 million US dollars, and 10,9 million US dollars is import deliveries, that in comparison with the similar period of the last year makes 60,0 % and 36,6 % accordingly.

Reduction of volumes of foreign trade of the region still influences results of cargo transportations through the boundary check points located in the territory of the Jewish Autonomous Region. In the analyzed period as a whole for all check points volumes of transportations of cargoes have decreased on 59,6 % and have made 64,3 thousand tons in comparison with the corresponding period of the last year.

Thus decrease in parameters on freight traffic is observed in all check points. So, in Nizhneleninskoye and Pashkovo check points the level of freight traffic in relation to the similar period of the last year has made 36,8 % and 49,5 % accordingly, in Amurzet check point - 35,2 %.

At the same time, in transportation of passengers positive dynamics is kept. The amount of the Russian and Chinese citizens, who have crossed the frontier through boundary check points located in the territory of the region, has made hardly more than 148 thousand persons and to the level of the last year has increased for 14,3 %.

The greatest amount of transported passengers was noted in Nizhneleninskoye check point - 108,8 thousand persons and Amurzet check point - 27,1 thousand persons. In spite of the fact that through Pashkovo check point has proceeded nearby 12,1 thousand person, the greatest rate of growth of amount of the transported passengers - more than in 2 times is observed. The important element of foreign economic relations is the investment sphere. According to the data of the territorial body in the JAR of the Federal Service of the State Statistics, in the first half-year 2009 the volume of foreign investments into economy of the autonomy made 1015,5 thousand US dollars, i.e. below the level of the similar period of 2008 in 5,6 times that testifies to reduction of volumes of capital investments from foreign investors in development of the activity in the territory of the region.

The maximal volume of foreign investments is observed in activity on extraction of minerals - 686,7 thousand US dollars (or 67,6 % from total amount of investments). The structure of investments from abroad according to the countries-investors is distributed as follows: the greatest size of investments has arrived from British isles - 58,7 % from total amount of foreign capital investments, other 41,3% - receipts from the People’s Republic of China. In the first half-year 2009 in the territory of the JAR 5 enterprises with the foreign investments are registered. They assume to carry out economic activities in sphere of agriculture, construction, logging and timber processing.

The most vigorous activity of foreign investors now is kept in the sphere of the building industry. According to the information of the department of architecture and construction of the JAR Government, rate of the housing construction, which is carried out by enterprises with foreign investments, remained at the level of the last year. So, in the first half-year 2009 98 apartments with the total area of 6456 sq. m. are put into operation by foreign investors (in the first half-year 2008 they have put into operation 106 apartments with the total area of 6484 sq. m.).

In agriculture of the autonomy according to the information presented by the department of agriculture of the JAR Government, on 07.01.2009 12 agricultural productions with foreign investments actually carried out economic activities.

The total area of the grounds rented by Chinese agricultural producers in the first half-year 2009 made 14083,5 hectares that makes about 14 % from all grounds under crops (according to the data of the territorial body in the JAR of the Federal Service of the State Statistics, the size of the grounds under crops in 2009 makes 104915 hectares.).

Chinese agricultural producers use 13249 hectares of grounds under soya, grain - 820 hectares, vegetables - 3,5 hectares, other cultures - 11 hectares.

In the field of manufacture of cattle-breeding production Chinese cattle breeders in the first half-year 2009 fattened 2333 pigs.

In the sphere of bowels usage in the territory of the region OOO "Haman - Far East", engaged in development of a manganese-ore deposit in the territory of the region, in the first half-year of the current year prepared technological tests of manganous and iron ores for sending in the laboratory of the Harbin metallurgical institute.

Tourist activity in the territory of the region is carried out by 32 tourist companies, 6 of them are branches and representations. 13 tourist organizations are tour operators, from which only 6 organizations are legal entities registered in the territory of the region. From the beginning of the current year in the region 9 new tourist organizations have been registered.

The structure of a tourist orientation has not undergone any changes. Still activity of tourist companies of the region is directed basically on the organization of exit tourism. So for 9 months of the current year the region was visited with tourist purposes only by 1152 foreign citizens from the People’s Republic of China, that on 245 person less than in the corresponding period of the last year. At the same time tourist organizations of the region sent abroad 27052 persons, that on 1200 persons is more, than for the same period of 2008.

The Government of the JAR accepts active participation in the international actions on various questions of development of foreign economic relations.

On August, 22nd, 2009 in Birobidzhan there have been carried on negotiations of the General Consul of the People’s Republic of China in Khabarovsk and delegations of the Chinese Society of Friendship with Foreign Countries with vice-chairman of the Government of the region V.S.Gurevich concerning development of bilateral cooperation between the Jewish Autonomous Region and the People’s Republic of China.

During the anniversary actions, devoted to the 75th anniversary of the Jewish Autonomous Region, visits of Secretary of the Embassy of the State of Israel in the Russian Federation S.Polischuk, delegations of the National Government of the Province of Heilongjiang and the cities of Jiamusi, Hegang, Ichun and Tongjiang (People’s Republic of China) took place.

During the visits working meetings of heads of the Chinese delegations with Governor of the Region N.M.Volkov, on which questions of the further development of bilateral trade and economic and humanitarian cooperation of frontier regions of the People’s Republics of China and the Jewish Autonomous Region were discussed, took place.

In September, 2009 in the concert actions, which were passed within the limits of the tenth festival of the Jewish culture, actors and creative collectives of the People’s Republic of China, Israel and the USA participated.