In the first three months of this year, Slovenia achieved exports of goods amounting to 5.246 billion euros, which is 1.1 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2012, according to the preliminary results released by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia on Friday.
Imports of goods during the same period amounted to 5.518 billion euros, a decrease of 1.7 percent compared to the first quarter of last year, with import coverage by exports at 95.1 percent.
The increase in commodity exports in the first quarter of this year was primarily due to an increase in exports to non-EU countries, while exports to EU countries decreased, particularly due to lower deliveries of cars and automotive parts from Slovenia to European manufacturers, as well as the crisis in the automotive industry, said Snježana Štuhec from the Statistical Office of Slovenia.
Štuhec emphasized that after a significant decline experienced by Slovenian exporters in 2009 and 2010, which was a consequence of the global economic crisis, exports rose to pre-crisis levels in 2011, and the positive trend continues into the beginning of this year.
