The COVID-19 pandemic has directly affected international trade in goods; therefore, in the period from January to November 2020, its effects on the foreign trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia are noticeable. In the period from January to November 2020, the total export of the Republic of Croatia amounted to 101.8 billion kuna and it was 2.2 billion kuna, or 2.1%, lower that in the same period of 2019. In the same period, the total import of the Republic of Croatia amounted to 156.5 billion kuna, which was a decrease of 15.5 billion kuna, or 9.0%, compared to the same period of 2019.
Foreign trade deficit of the Republic of Croatia from January to November 2020 amounted to 54.7 billion kuna, which was 13.3 billion kuna, or 19.5%, lower than in the same period of 2019.
In the period from January to November 2020, coverage of import by export was 65.0%, while in the period from January to November 2019, it amounted to 60.5%.
The most important foreign trade partners in export of the Republic of Croatia are EU Member States. Export to EU Member States from January to November 2020 accounted for 69.8% of the total export, remaining unchanged compared to the same period of 2019.
The largest foreign trade partners from the EU in the first eleven months of 2020, observing in kuna, were Germany – decrease in export of 3.3% (share in total export of 13.1%), Italy – decrease in export of 11.8% (share in total export of 12.6%) and Slovenia – decrease in export of 5.2% (share in total export of 10.4%). The largest foreign trade partners outside the EU, with which the Republic of Croatia realised trade in goods in the first eleven months, were its neighbouring countries Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Serbia. In the observed period, Bosnia and Herzegovina had a decrease in export of 15.7% (share in total export of 8.6%), while Serbia had an increase in export of 0.5% (share in total export of 4.7%).
Observing the total export of the Republic of Croatia in the first eleven months of 2020, the most exported goods were electrical machinery, appliances and devices, worth 7.6 billion kuna, petroleum and petroleum products, worth 7.3 billion kuna, as well as medicinal and pharmaceutical products, worth 7.1 billion kuna.
At the same time, the total import of the Republic of Croatia amounted to 156.5 billion kuna. In the first eleven months of 2020, the most imported goods were medicinal and pharmaceutical products, worth 11.2 billion kuna, road vehicles, worth 10.2 billion kuna, as well as petroleum and petroleum products, worth 9.0 billion kuna.
The most important foreign trade partners in import of the Republic of Croatia were also EU Member States. Import from EU Member States from January to November 2020 accounted for 80.5% of total import and decreased by 8.7% compared to the same period of 2019.
A significant decrease was recorded in import from Italy, of 18.7% (share in total import of 12.5%), Germany, of 9.2% (share in total import of 15.4%) and Slovenia, of 9.6% (share in total import of 11.4%).
Import from non-EU Member States from January to November 2020 accounted for 19.5% of total import of the Republic of Croatia and decreased by 10.1% compared to the same period of the previous year.
In the period from January to November 2020 compared to the same period of the previous year, import from the most important foreign trade partners outside the EU also decreased; thus, import from Bosnia and Herzegovina decreased by 4.2% (share in total import of 2.9%) and import from Serbia decreased by 0.5% (share in total import of 2.6%).