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Potash giant's exports reported down 23.5 percent in first seven months

Exports by AAT Belaruskali totaled $1,380 million in the first seven months of 2013, according to a report that was distributed among journalists prior to a news conference by managers of the potash company.

The National Statistics Committee reported that Belaruskali's exports had amounted to $1,800 million in the first seven months of 2012. This means that they decreased by 23.5 percent year-on-year between January and July.

At the same time, the exports did not change in terms of volume.

Belaruskali reportedly exported 3,750,000 tons of potash in the first seven months of 2013, including 1,500,000 tons in the first quarter, 1,800,000 in the second quarter, and 470,000 tons in the third quarter.

Asian, Latin American, Western and Eastern European countries remained Belaruskali's main export destinations.

Belaruskali produced 4,900,000 tons of potash in the first seven months of 2013 and supplied 1,060,000 tons of potash to domestic customers, an increase of 10.3 percent.

Belaruskali exports potash through Belarusian Potash Company (BPC) and accounts for about 15 percent of the global potash market.

On July 29, Russia's Uralkali announced that the company should stop exporting its products through BPC.

Experts predict that the move may reduce the price of potassium chloride in the world market from $400 to $300 per ton. //BelaPAN