FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS
The COVID-19 pandemic has directly affected international trade in goods; therefore, in the period from January to August 2020, its effects on the foreign trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia are also noticeable. According to provisional data, from January to August, total export of the Republic of Croatia amounted to 69.6 billion kuna, while total import was 111.6 billion kuna. Foreign trade deficit amounted to 41.9 billion kuna in the observed period, which was 17.3% lower than in the same period of the previous year. The most important foreign trade partners of the Republic of Croatia were EU Member States.
In the first eight months of 2020, the EU market had a share of 69.8% in the total foreign trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia. The most important foreign trade partners from the EU in the first eight months of 2020, observing in kuna, were Germany, with a share of 13.3%, Italy, with a share of 12.1%, and Slovenia, with a share of 10.5%. The most important foreign trade partners outside the EU, with which the Republic of Croatia realised trade in goods in the first eight months, were its neighbouring countries Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Serbia. From January to August 2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina had a share of 8.6% and Serbia of 4.6% in the total foreign trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia.
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 August 2020 accounted for 80.2% of total import and decreased by 11.1% compared to the same period of 2019. The most important foreign trade partners from the EU in the first eight months of 2020, observing in kuna, were Germany, with a share of 15.2%, Italy, with a share of 12.6%, and Slovenia, with a share of 11.5%. Import from non-EU Member States from January to August 2020 accounted for 19.8% of total import of the Republic of Croatia and decreased by 9.6% compared to the same period of the previous year.
In the observed period, an increase is noticeable in the import of masks, disinfectants and rubber gloves. From January to August 2020, the value of import of face masks amounted to 376.5 million kuna, which was an increase of 309.9 million kuna compared to the same period of the previous year. Face masks worth slightly more than a half (55.9%) of the total value of import of this product were imported from China.
Furthermore, in the first eight months of 2020, disinfectants worth 98.9 million kuna were imported, which was 56.3 million kuna more than in the same period of the previous year, and the most disinfectants, almost half of the total value of their import (48.0%), were imported from Germany (16.5%), Austria (16.2%) and China (15.3%).
The value of imported rubber gloves (including surgical gloves) amounted to 103.1 million kuna, which was an increase of 35.0 million kuna compared to the same period of the previous year. The most rubber gloves were imported from Germany, accounting for 25.8% of the total value of imported gloves.
