VIRTUAL WATER FLOWS IN BELARUS-CHINA BILATERAL TRADE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

In this paper we used data on volumes of agricultural trade between Belarus and China as well as data on water requirements for each crop and animal product traded between the two countries to calculate virtual water flows associated with agricultural products in Belarus-China bilateral trade. During the period from 2014 to 2017, the outflow of virtual water associated with crop and animal products from Belarus to China accounted for 389,6 million m3, while the outflow of virtual water from China to Belarus was about 313,3 million m3. Due to Belarus's comparative advantage in water trade and China's growing water scarcity, the present state of Belarus-China virtual water trade is advantageous for both countries and helps to relieve water stress in China.