Foreign trade for the first one month of 2018 www.gogo.mn

A result of foreign trade for the first one month of 2018 has been based on 28168 export, and 15469 import customs declarations and other non customs resources of information.

679 export and 342 import declarations belong to the goods crossed through seasonal ports.

A result of total turnover of foreign trade for the first 1 month of 2018 amounted 785.0 mln.USD which increased in 100.4 mln.USD or 14.7 percent against the same period of the last year.

Export exceeded import in 62.7 mln.USD and foreign trade balance became positive.

The volume of export is 423.8 mln.USD which means decrease by 1.1 percent if compared with the same period of the last year.

99.1 percent of exported goods comes to transactions paid in hard currency.

In total export minerals amounted

351.7 mln.USD or 83.0%; natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones amounted 27.2 mln.USD or 6.4%; vegetable products 4.1 mln.USD or 1.0%; export of raw hides and skins, leather, furskins and articles thereof equaled to 3.3 mln.USD or 0.8%, textiles and textile articles 10.3 mln.USD or 2.4% and in total 93.6% of export came to these goods.

Сrude oil, iron ores and concentrates, copper concentrate, molybdenum concentrates and zinc ores and concentrates were exported to China (100.0%), coal were exported to China (96.1%). Flouspar concentrates were exported to China (53.6%), the Russian Federation (46.1%); leather of bovine or equine animals were exported to China; 100.0 percent of combed cashmere to China; most of exported raw hides and skins, washed cashmere comes to China, and gold were exported to United Kingdom (100.0%) and 88.9 percent of total export belong to these goods.

Mongolia has exported goods to 37 foreign countries including

China (88.5%),
United Kingdom (6.6%),
the Russian Federation (1.2%) and 96.3% of whole export comes to these countries.
Goods and raw materials with value of 361.1 mln.USD were imported and the volume of total import increased by 83.9 mln.USD or 30.3% in comparison with the same period of 2017.

Imported goods consist of transactions paid in hard currency (94.9%), goods supplied by foreign loan (0.1%), goods imported as foreign aid (0.4%), goods imported as foreign investment (3.3%), processed goods (1.1%).

In total import machinery, mechanic equipment and parts thereof, electric appliances, parts thereof amounted with value of 80.1 mln.USD (22.2%), minerals-90.4 mln.USD (25.0%) and among them oil products were 75.0 mln.USD (83.0%), products of animal or vegetable origin and foodstuff 49.4 mln.USD (13.7%), vehicles and aircraft, parts there of 43.3 mln.USD (12.0%), plastics and rubber and articles thereof 15.4 mln.USD (4.3%), base metals and products thereof – 25.3 mln.USD (7.0%), chemical products – 22.8 mln.USD (6.3%) and 90.5% of the total import comes to these goods and products).

Goods with value of 1273.4 thous.USD have been imported as foreign aid from international financial and economic organizations and donor-countries. If we take into consideration the countries of origin Switzerland (39.6%), China (29.3%), Republic of Korea (14.8%).

The goods, donated from donor countries, came from the Switzerland (39.6%), China (29.2%), Japan (20.0%).

Goods worth 392.3 thous.USD were imported as foreign loan by the international financial and economic organizations and donor-countries and these goods were originating from different countries such as the USA (50.6%), China (25.1%), Republic of Korea (15.9%).

Total loan goods were imported as government loans. If we take into consideration the lenders, loan lent from Japan (72.1%) and from Republic of Korea (15.9%).

In total goods with value of 12.0 mln.USD were imported to the charter fund of joint ventures and companies with foreign investment and these goods were originating from different countries such as China (37.6%) and the Russian Federation (62.2%).

Mongolia has imported goods originating from 99 different countries including

Russian Federation (34.1%),
China (29.3%), 
USA (4.5%),
Japan (9.0%),
Republic of Korea (3.6%) 
Federal Republic of Germany (2.3%) and goods from these countries are equal to 82.8% of total import.

NSO releases its January socio-economic report www.gogo.mn

Individuals earning 500,000 to 700,000 MNT a month made up 19.9 percent of the population in 2017, falling to 17 percent in January 2018. The economy saw 5.1 percent growth in 2017.

JSCs to distribute share dividends www.gogo.mn

The board of Talkh Chikher JSC voted to distribute share dividends from 2017's net profits to its shareholders.

Labor Law amendments to be submitted to Parliament www.gogo.mn

Amendments to the Law on Labor were discussed during Cabinet's February 14 meeting, and it was decided that the amendments will be submitted to Parliament after the addition of some proposals from Cabinet members.

Mongolian Foreign Minister to visit Tokyo www.news.mn

Foreign Minister Taro Kono plans to hold talks in Tokyo next week with his Mongolian counterpart D.Tsogtbaatar to gather the latest information on North Korea, a Japanese government source said Friday.

Mongolian trio Davaadorj, Nyamsuren and Battulga switch to UAE www.judoinside.com

Three Mongolian athletes make a remarkable switch and not the least. Former World number one Davaadorj Tumurkhuleg and Grand Slam Paris winner will switch to the United Arab Emirates.

Oyu Tolgoi notified of Government of Mongolia’s cancellation of Power Sector Cooperation Agreement www.turquoisehill.com

Turquoise Hill today (Feb 15) announced that Oyu Tolgoi has received notification the Government of Mongolia (Government) has
canceled the Power Sector Cooperation Agreement (PSCA), which was signed in 2014. The Government’s cancellation,
under Section 1.3 of the PSCA, indicates that the Tavan Tolgoi power project is no longer a viable option.
In August 2014, the Government of Mongolia and Oyu Tolgoi signed the PSCA for the exploration of a Tavan Tolgoibased
independent power producer. The agreement provided a framework for long-term strategic cooperation between
the Mongolian Government and Oyu Tolgoi to deliver a comprehensive energy plan for the South Gobi region.
Participation in the PSCA met Oyu Tolgoi’s obligation in the 2009 Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement (Investment
Agreement) to establish a long-term power supply within Mongolia four years from the commencement of commercial
production. As a result of the Government’s cancellation, effective February 15, 2018 long-term power for Oyu Tolgoi
must be domestically sourced within four years.
Oyu Tolgoi, Turquoise Hill and Rio Tinto are committed to fulfilling all requirements under the Investment Agreement and
are continuing to evaluate all viable power options, including construction of an Oyu Tolgoi based power plant. A final
decision on the outcome, cost or financing of a permanent domestic power supply has not been concluded at this time.
The cost of a power solution for Oyu Tolgoi is not included in the Company’s $5.3 billion expansion capital project
estimate for the development of Hugo North Lift 1.
Domestically-sourced power for Oyu Tolgoi is addressed in Chapter Seven (Infrastructure) of the Investment Agreement

China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ is threat to US in Latin America – US commander www.rt.com

Beijing’s decision to extend its ambitious multitrillion-dollar trade initiative to Latin America creates “security vulnerabilities” for the United States, said the chief of the US Southern Command.
Talking at a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting, he said China has already pledged $500 billion in trade funds with various Latin American countries and $250 billion in direct investment over the next decade.

Armed Forces celebrate graduation of officers from Mongolia www.gulf-times.com

Qatari Armed Forces celebrated the graduation of officers from Mongolia. Some 20 officers of the Mongolian armed forces participated in a course held in Doha from January 5 to February 15. The graduation ceremony was attended by the Chief of Colleges and Institutes Authority Major-General Hamad bin Ahmed al-Nuaimi and a number of senior 
officers of the armed forces. The course included mountain training with the
participation of special forces, internal security forces, and focused on 
fighting in built-up areas and counterterrorism. It also included training with the military police in duties during peacetime and war, rapid intervention and security and protection of personalities.

Irish men to drive from Mayo to Mongolia to raise money for the homeless www.thejournal.ie

Four Irish friends are to journey from Mayo to Mongolia in order to raise thousands for the homeless.

The foursome will drive from Ireland to Russia and then on to Mongolia as part of the famous intercontinental Mongol Rally, and want to raise money for the Dublin Simon Community along the way.

It’s brilliantly simple. We give you a start point and a finish point but where you go or what you do in between is entirely your steaming bag of adventuring magic. We recommend that you don’t spend too long planning your route or pouring over useful maps or guidebooks. Find out what’s there when you arrive. Unleash the unexpected. – Mongol Rally organisers
To date they have fundraised over €3,250 for their chosen charity, the Simon Community. They have pledged to donate 100% of this money to the charity – their car for the trip is sponsored by JJ Burke’s garage in Co Mayo.

“We’re four friends – three from Mayo and one from Greystones,” explained Ben Ruddy. “We wanted to do something for charity and we were thinking these days you have to do something big to get people’s attention.”

Wicklow man Luke Cafferky and Mayo men Ruddy, Dave Kelly, and Joe McGing, make up the group. Kelly and Ruddy grew up together, and met Cafferky while travelling in South America. With Ruddy having worked in South Korea for the last seven years, the men are travelling some distances to reunite for the challenge.

As “mad travellers”, they thought the long trip would be perfect for them.

The Mongol Rally began in 2004, with just six teams taking part in the first event. Though the event used to end in Mongolia, now it technically ends in Russia, after the drivers pass through Mongolia.

Ruddy volunteered with the Simon Community while in college, so he said he always wanted to go back and do something else to help them. “I knew there was such a spiralling problem with homelessness in the Leinster region,” he explained. “So we decided to go with Dublin Simon Community. ”

On 7 July, they will leave Westport, take the ferry from Rosslare and begin their trip to Mongolia. To make things even more interesting, they will be travelling in a 1.2 litre Clio.

“We’ll be passing through Iran, Kazakhstan and Mongolia so we are hoping to take a less well-travelled path to get out there,” said Ruddy. They are also planning to raise money right up until they arrive in Mongolia, in September.

It will take about three months to complete the journey. Around 350 cars are taking part this year, so the group won’t be alone in their challenge.

“So we will definitely be in touch with other teams and it’s definitely a case of helping each other cross the finish line,” said Ruddy. The event isn’t a race, he said. “It doesn’t matter how long it takes you. There is a closing date to get there – September 10, but most people don’t mind. It’s the camaraderie and the journey rather than a race.”

Plus, with a limit of a 1.2l car engine, they can’t exactly travel fast anyway.

The four men know that taking part in such a challenge will be, well, challenging. “We will definitely have problems along the way,” said Ruddy. “We barely know how to change a tyre! It’s going to be interesting – there’s definitely not a mechanical bone between us. If we break down we’ll have to get on the good side of the locals.”

“We think it will be good challenge – we definitely are determined to get out there,” he added.

“We are hoping we will get to €5000 or more,” said Ruddy of their fundraising goal. “We really need to get sponsors behind us.”

They have even set up a site where people can follow their progress and donate if they wish.