ZAGREB, May 24, 2019 – Croatian exports in 2018 totalled 107.9 billion kuna, up 3.2% on 2017, while imports totalled 176.2 billion kuna, up 7.9%, putting the trade deficit at 68.3 billion kuna, up 16%, the national statistical office said on Friday. The export-import ratio was 61.2%, whereas in 2017 it was 64%.
In 2018, the EU market accounted for nearly 69% of Croatian exports, up 9.3% on the year to 74.2 billion kuna, and for 78% of imports, which increased 7.9% to 176.2 billion kuna.
Croatia is in the top five of EU member states which generated more than three-thirds of their imports from other member states.
In 2018, Croatia’s main trade partners in the EU were Germany, Italy and Slovenia. Nearly 15% of Croatian exports went to Italy, up 10% on 2017, totalling 15.8 billion kuna. Croatian imports from Germany accounted for over 15% of all imports, going up 7.2% from 2017. Trade with Slovenia accounted for almost 11% of all Croatian exports and imports in 2018. Exports went up 6.2% to 11.9 billion kuna, while imports were up 12.2% to 12.2 billion kuna.
Croatia’s exchange of commodities with third countries accounted for 31% of all exports, which dropped 8%, and nearly 22% of all imports, which increased 8% in comparison with 2017.
Croatia’s main trade partners outside the EU were Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and China. In 2018, 9% of Croatian exports were made to BiH, down 1% on the year to 10.1 billion kuna, while imports increased 6.4% to 5.4 billion kuna.
Exports to Serbia dropped 5.5% to 4.7 billion kuna, while imports went up 3.8% to 4.3 billion kuna.
Exports to China stood at 989.4 million kuna, up 18.%, while imports were 5.9 billion kuna, up 15.1%.
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