Croatian exports in the first five months of this year have increased by 10.9 percent compared to last year, while imports have increased by 5.9 percent. The export-import ratio stood at 60.5 percent, showed the data released on Friday by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, reports Novi List on August 7, 2015.
In the period from January to the end of May, Croatia exported goods worth 34.2 billion kuna, while imports were valued at 56.6 billion kuna. Calculated in euros, Croatian exports in the first five months of this year totaled 4.47 billion euros, 10.7 percent more than in the same period last year, while imports have increased by 5.7 percent to 7.4 billion euros. Foreign trade deficit in the first five months of the year dropped by one per cent, to 22.4 billion kuna, or to 2.9 billion euros.
The most important market for Croatian products is the European Union, which represents 67 percent of exports. In the first five months, goods worth almost three billion euros were exported to the EU member states, which is 14.4 percent more than in 2014. At the same time, imports from the EU member states have increased by 9.7 percent, to 5.8 billion euro. Exports to CEFTA countries dropped by 0.2 percent to 781.2 million euros, while the imports stayed on the same level, at 366.8 million euros.
The largest Croatian foreign trade partner is Italy, where goods worth 603.3 million euros were exported, a decrease of 0.4 percent, while the imports from that country increased by 5.8 percent, to 1.03 billion euros. Exports to Slovenia increased by 22.9 percent to 561.5 million euros, while imports from that country rose by 3.7 percent to 787.5 million euros. The third place belongs to Germany. To that country Croatia exported goods worth 517.5 million euros, or 9.4 percent more, while the imports grew by 5.8 per cent to 1.1 billion euros.
Among the sectors with significant values of exports, the highest growth was recorded in shipbuilding, with an increase of 136.1 percent to 136.5 million euros. High export growth was recorded in the sectors of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, manufacturing of leather and related products, agriculture, forestry and fishing, basic pharmaceutical products, metal products, and several other sectors.
