Export increased by 5.8 percent while import grew by 7.2 percent during the first six months of the year. The 1.55 billion dollar deficit was 250 million dollars more than during the same period last year. Within that industrial customs free areas achieved a 1 billion dollar surplus, however, customs area companies had a negative balance of 2.5 billion dollars, indicating a 420 million dollar deterioration. Looking at the whole year a consolidated deficit of approximately 2.8 or 3 billion dollar can be expected, somewhat higher than last year. In light of the adverse external and internal conditions effecting almost the entire national economy, this is not a particularly bad performance.
Only the sale of machines and equipment increased in exports, but that amounted to 18 percent. The greatest decrease of export, 23 percent, was witnessed in the sale of foodstuff, spirits and tobacco. Today already 76.2 percent of the export is directed to the European Union. Shipments into Central and Eastern European countries decreased in all major product groups, except perhaps for sources of energy, which has little weight. The share of industrial customs free areas reached 42 percent of the total export as a result of a 9 percentage point increase.
Much of the import growth was constituted by 19 percent higher import of machines and equipment. Import of processed goods was almost identical to last year’s volume, however, food import decreased by 15.5 percent. Almost two thirds of products purchased abroad originated from the European Union, which signifies a 10.7 percent increase according to the statistics. Import from Central and Eastern European countries decreased by 9 percent. –
