The region of Nizhny Novgorod, one of the most economically active Russian areas located in the central part of the country, has followed the upward trend applying to all of Russia's trade for the past few years, boosting its foreign trade turnover in 9 months of 2017 by a whopping 53.4%, to over USD 4.7 billion. Its imports grew by 46.08% to USD 2.14 bn and exports - by 56.94% to USD 2.58 bn. The principal groups of imported goods were machine building items (52%), chemical products and rubber (26%), metals and metal products (8%), as well as foodstuffs and ingredients (6%). The region's main exports were chemical products and rubber (37%), machine building items (25%), timber, paper products and cellulose (14%), and metal and metal products (11%). The main trade partners of the region in the CIS are Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, while the largest other ones are Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, China, France and Belgium. Nizhny Novgorod, being the administrative centre of the Greater Volga Federal district that unites 14 regions and republics with the population of over 29 million (21% of all Russia), has well surpassed the general growth level of the district itself, which was registered at 20.3% (USD 36.06 bn) for 9 months of 2017.