OREANDA-NEWS  The extension of the mandatory sale of foreign currency by exporters in Russia will have a favorable effect on imports, but other factors, including inflation and the trade balance, will affect the ruble exchange rate this year. Forecasts about the exchange rate of the national currency were shared by experts in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Oleg Abelev, head of the analytical department of IC Rikom-Trust, notes that it is difficult to talk about the course by the end of the year, since many economic and political events may occur before that time. "Very cautiously, we can assume that by the end of the year the ruble-dollar pair may be in the range of 83-85 rubles, the ruble-yuan pair — 10.5-11 rubles," he predicted.

According to analysts at Promsvyazbank, by the middle of the year, the dollar will be worth about 91 rubles. Taking into account the extension of the mandatory sale of foreign exchange earnings until December, by the end of the year the exchange rate of the US currency may be fixed in the range of 90-95 rubles, experts say.

The most pessimistic forecast is made by Anna Buylakova, an analyst at Cifra Broker. She said that the extension of the decree on the sale of proceeds by exporters would no longer have such an impact on the ruble, as the share of settlements in the currencies of friendly countries had significantly increased. "Taking into account all the factors combined, we believe that the ruble may weaken to 108 per dollar by the end of the year," she said.