FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS
The total export of the Republic of Croatia from January to May 2022, according to provisional data, amounted to 73.5 billion kuna and it was 19.4 billion kuna, or 35.9%, higher than in the same period of 2021.The total import of the Republic of Croatia amounted to 125.5 billion kuna in the period from January to May 2022, which was an increase of 43.5 billion kuna, or 53.0%, compared to the same period of 2021.
Foreign trade deficit of the Republic of Croatia from January to May 2022 amounted to 52.0 billion kuna, which was 24.1 billion kuna, or 86.2%, more than in the same period of 2021.
In the period from January to May 2022, coverage of import by export was 58.6%, while in the period from January to May 2021 it amounted to 65.9%.
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 May 2022 accounted for 72.1% of the total export and increased by 43.4% compared to the same period of 2021.
The largest foreign trade partners from the EU, from January to May 2022, observing data in kuna, were Slovenia – increase in export of 72.2% (share in total export of 13.8%), Italy – increase in export of 32.2% (share in total export of 12.3%) and Germany – increase in export of 25.4% (share in total export of 11.5%).
Export to non-EU Member States increased by 19.6% from January to May 2022 compared to the same period of 2021, and accounted for 27.9% of the total export. The largest foreign trade partners outside the EU, with which the Republic of Croatia realised trade in goods from January to May 2022, were its neighbouring countries Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. In the observed period, export to Bosnia and Herzegovina increased by 63.3% (share in total export of 9.2%), while export to Serbia increased by 45.0% (share in total export of 4.6%).
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 May 2022 accounted for 74.3% of total import and increased by 45.4% compared to the same period of 2021.
Import from Italy increased by 66.5% (share in total import of 13.3%), from Germany by 26.0% (share in total import of 12.5%) and from Slovenia by 71.3% (share in total import of 12.5%).
Import from non-EU countries from January to May 2022 accounted for 25.7% of total import of the Republic of Croatia and increased by 80.4% compared to the same period of the previous year. From January to May 2022 compared to the same period of 2021, import from the USA increased significantly, by 649.6%, which accounted for 5.9% of the total import, and mostly refers to liquefied natural gas.
Foreign Trade in Goods of the Republic of Croatia with the Russian Federation and Ukraine
From January to May 2022, export to the Russian Federation amounted to 386.0 million kuna and decreased by 29.8% compared to the same period of 2021 (share in total export of 0.5%). The most exported goods were medicinal and pharmaceutical products, worth 155.3 million kuna, general-purpose industrial machinery, n. e. c., worth 72.4 million kuna, and essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations, worth 35.9 million kuna. Clothes were exported in the amount of 18.4 million kuna, which was a decrease of 78.8%, or 68.6 million kuna for the observed period.
Import from the Russian Federation in the same period amounted to 1.5 billion kuna and increased by 15.8% (share in total import of 1.2%). The most imported goods were hard coal, coke and briquette, worth 525.0 million kuna (377,5% more than in the same period last year), petroleum and petroleum products, worth 499.2 million kuna (20.7% less than in the same period last year), and non-ferrous metals, worth 355.1 million kuna. The import of gas, natural and manufactured in the period from January to May 2022, compared to the same period of 2021, decreased by 107.5 million kuna, or 91.3%.
Export to Ukraine amounted to 122.6 million kuna and decreased by 33.5% from January to May 2022 compared to the same period of 2021 (share in total export of 0.2%). The most exported goods were special-purpose machinery, worth 25.5 million kuna, medicinal and pharmaceutical products, worth 19.6 million kuna, and general-purpose industrial machinery, n. e. c., worth 12.3 million kuna. In the observed period, the export of medicinal and pharmaceutical products decreased the most, by 79.8%, or 77.5 million kuna.
At the same time, import from Ukraine amounted to 193.7 million kuna and increased by 57.4% (share in total import of 0.2%) and the most imported goods were products of cork and wood, worth 43.8 million kuna, electrical machinery, appliances and devices, worth 25.4 million kuna, and cereals and cereal preparations, worth 19.6 million kuna. In the observed period, the import of products of cork and wood increased the most, by 330.7%, or 33.6 million kuna, and of cereals and cereal preparations, by 961.9%, or 17.7 million kuna.
