In the first 4 months, we exported goods worth 21.2 billion kuna

Croatia’s goods export in the first four months of this year, expressed in kunas, fell by 5.5 percent, while expressed in euros it decreased by 6.1 percent compared to the same period last year, while imports simultaneously fell by 3.7 percent in kunas and by 4.2 percent in euros, according to the preliminary data published today by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS).

The coverage of imports by exports in the first four months of this year was 54.7 percent, compared to 56.4 percent in the same period of 2012.

According to DZS data, Croatia exported goods worth 21.2 billion kuna to foreign markets in the first four months of this year, while imports amounted to 38.7 billion kuna.

Expressed in euros, Croatia’s goods export in the first four months of this year totaled 2.8 billion euros, while imports were 5.1 billion euros.

Thus, at the end of April, the total deficit in Croatia’s foreign trade amounted to 17.5 billion kuna, or 2.3 billion euros, which is an increase of 1.75 percent in kunas and 1.13 percent in euros compared to the deficit from the same period last year.

DZS data also show that in April alone, goods worth 719.5 million euros were exported from Croatia to foreign markets, with simultaneous imports of 1.37 billion euros, resulting in a monthly deficit of 654.2 million euros.

Statistics show that in the first four months of this year, the export of the manufacturing industry, expressed in euros, fell by 5.7 percent compared to the same period last year, to around 2.5 billion euros.

Among certain activities within the manufacturing industry with a larger share in exports, the export of refined petroleum products increased during this period by 10.3 percent, to 350.5 million euros, while a more moderate growth of 2.2 percent is recorded in the export of machinery and equipment, to 219.2 million euros.

Significant growth in exports in the first four months of this year is also recorded in the production of finished metal products, by 31 percent, to 194.5 million euros, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry, by 17.1 percent, to over 161 million euros.

At the same time, the export of electrical equipment decreased by 8.3 percent, to 203 million euros, and a significant decline of 17.7 percent, to 183.8 million euros, is recorded in the food industry. The export of the chemical industry simultaneously fell by 3.1 percent, to 161.8 million euros.

One of the highest rates of decline in exports in the first four months of this year is recorded in the production of other means of transport, under which statistics include shipbuilding. The export of shipbuilding during this period decreased by 67.4 percent, to less than 77.5 million euros.

DZS data for the first quarter of this year indicate that the main export market for Croatian products remains the European Union, with a share of almost 61.5 percent in total exports. Imports from the EU account for 60.6 percent of total imports.

To EU markets, Croatia exported goods worth 1.7 billion euros by the end of April, which is 1.2 percent less than in the same period last year, while imports from the EU simultaneously decreased by as much as 10.4 percent, to 3 billion euros.

Individually, the largest export Croatia achieved during this period was to the Italian market, worth almost 400 million euros (a decrease of 12.9 percent), and to the German market, worth 329.6 million euros (an increase of 1.3 percent).

From these countries, the largest imports were also achieved in the first four months – from Italy for 742.15 million euros (23.4 percent less), and from Germany 665 million euros (0.2 percent less).

To CEFTA countries, which account for almost 19 percent of total exports, Croatia exported goods worth 528.7 million euros by the end of April, which is 12.2 percent less than in the first four months last year, while imports from these countries, which account for 5.6 percent of total imports, simultaneously decreased by 6.3 percent, to 287.5 million euros.