Belarus's main sectors of economy are mechanical engineering, chemical and petrochemical industry, fuel and energy sector, agriculture, timber and woodworking industries and others.
Auto industry accounts for one-fourth of the output in the mechanical engineering sector. The
major companies are Minsk Automobile Works (MAZ trademark) and Belarusian Auto Works (BelAZ trademark). Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ) is one of the world's top eight manufacturers of tractors, whose total share of the world tractors market is 96 percent. MTZ sells into more than 60 countries.
One refrigerator rolls off the Atlant line every 17 seconds. In 2009 Atlant made over 1 million refrigerators and freezers, more than 234,700 washing machines. Over 80 percent of Atlant output is exported. Belarusian refrigerators and freezers are sold into 34 countries.
Chemical and petrochemical industry is notable for producing high-quality potash, nitrogen, and phosphate fertilizers, which are in great demand abroad. Most of the output is exported. Belarus's two biggest producers of mineral fertilizers are Belaruskali and Grodno Azot.
The biggest company of the ferrous metallurgy industry is Belarusian Steel Works (BMZ trademark, based in the town of Zhlobin). The enterprise sells into more than 50 countries.
France's Michelin, one of the world's largest manufacturers of automobile and aircraft tires, has named Belarusian Steel Works (BMZ) the best supplier of metal cord and bead wire of 2009.
The national fuel and energy industry extracts, transports, stores and distributes all kinds of energy resources. Belarus satisfies 85 percent of its needs in energy by importing energy resources. The power industry is the backbone of the fuel and energy industry. It traditionally boasts the high level of technical and engineering expertise.
Belarus's petroleum industry includes Naftan Oil Refinery in Novopolotsk and Mozyr Oil Refinery.
Beltransgaz distributes and transports natural gas across Belarus. In 2008 the work on extending gas supply networks was completed. Now natural gas is supplied to all 118 regional centers of the country.
Nuclear power engineering is expected to play a big role in Belarus's fuel and energy industry in the future. In 2008 a decision was passed to construct a 2000MW nuclear power plant, which will reduce the prime cost of electrical energy to 20 percent.
Agriculture is an important part of the national economy and the essential element of the country's agro-industrial complex. In 2009 the agricultural industry accounted for 7.8 percent of the country's GDP. Roughly 10 percent of the workforce in the country is employed in the agricultural industry.
The country's agricultural export exceeds $2 billion. The country looks to increase this export to $3 or 4 billion a year. Belarus accounts for 1 percent of the global milk production, 11 percent of international sales of butter and 5.7 percent of cheese.
Along with Australia and New Zealand, Brazil and Argentina, Belarus is the world's biggest exporter of dairy products.
Belarus accounts for about 16 percent of the world's areas under flax. Belarus ranks in top five out of 26 countries producing flax.
Belarus is one of the world's seven leading potato producers and is a global leader in the potato production per capita.
The construction industry accounted for around 10 percent of GDP. The core of this industry is made up by the companies producing construction materials. One of the rapidly advancing sectors of the construction industry is housing construction. The objective is now to make sure the construction industry builds 10 million square meters of housing per year through 2014 and, starting 2015, delivers 15 million square meters.
On 1 January 2010 Belarus imposed European standards in construction. This move is seen as one of the most important ones towards integration into the European system of rate setting. This measure will remove the technical barriers to the implementation of investment projects by foreign investors in the country.
Belarus has an advanced transport industry and infrastructure, and reports a sustainable growth in cargo flow across its territory. Over 100 million tonnes of cargo are transported from Europe via Belarus every year, and 90 percent of it goes from the EU to Russia and backwards. Belarus ensures the transit is efficient and safe.
Railway transport plays the most important role in the country's transport system. Road transport also has strong positions both in the domestic transport system and the European market of transport services. Transit of cargo via Belarus has been increasingly vibrant lately and has become a strategically important industry. Companies from more than 50 countries transport their cargo via Belarus. The Republic of Belarus has signed around 40 international road communication agreements with 38 states.
Belarus offers transportation services by railway, road, air, river and pipeline
Belarus's geographic position in the center of Europe, at the crossroads of major transport and communications routes, is one of the country's geopolitical advantages. In accordance with the national logistics system development program designed for the period ending 2015, 50 logistics centers will be built, including 18 centers that will be equipped to handle the final processing of products. Belarus has already signed a contract with a Belgian company to construct a modern transport and logistics park at Minsk International Airport. The Belarusian Railways and a Czech company have launched a similar project. An Iranian construction company acts as a main investor on the Prilesye center project.
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