Since March this year, the increase in foreign trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia has continued, which was declining due to the COVID-19 pandemic and partial economic shutdown. In the first nine months of 2021, the total export of the Republic of Croatia amounted to 100.5 billion kuna and it was 20.1 billion kuna, or 25.0%, higher than in the same period of 2020. In the same period, the total import of the Republic of Croatia amounted to 155.0 billion kuna, which was an increase of 27.8 billion kuna, or 21.9%, compared to the same period of 2020.
Foreign trade deficit of the Republic of Croatia from January to September 2021 amounted to 54.5 billion kuna, which was 7.7 billion kuna, or 16.5%, more than in the same period of 2020.
In the period from January to September 2021, coverage of import by export was 64.8%, while in the same period of 2020, it amounted to 63.2%.
The most important foreign trade partners in export of the Republic of Croatia are EU Member States. Export to EU Member States in the first nine months of 2021 accounted for 68.5% of the total export and increased by 25.9% compared to 2020.
The largest foreign trade partners from the EU in 2021, observing data in kuna, were Italy – increase in export of 28.8% (share in total export of 12.7%), Germany – increase in export of 16.9% (share in total export of 12.4%) and Slovenia – increase in export of 38.0% (share in total export of 11.6%).
Export to non-EU Member States increased by 23.1% in the first nine months of 2021 compared to 2020, and accounted for 31.5% of the total export. The largest foreign trade partners outside the EU, with which the Republic of Croatia realised trade in goods in the first nine months of 2021, were its neighbouring countries Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Serbia. In the observed period, export to Bosnia and Herzegovina increased by 24.5% (share in total export of 8.6%), while export to Serbia increased by 18.1% (share in total export of 4.4%). From January to September 2021, export to the USA increased by 43.2%, which accounted for 3.5% of the total export, and mostly refers to medicinal and pharmaceutical products.
The most important foreign trade partners in import of the Republic of Croatia were also EU Member States. Import from EU Member States in the first nine months of 2021 accounted for 76.2% of the total import and increased by 17.4% compared to 2020.
Import from Germany increased by 18.8% (share in total import of 14.8%), from Italy by 15.5% (share in total import of 12.0%) and from Slovenia by 15.0% (share in total import of 10.9%).
Import from non-EU Member States from January to September 2021 accounted for 23.8% of total import of the Republic of Croatia and increased by 38.9% compared to the same period of the previous year. From January to September 2021, import from Bosnia and Herzegovina increased by 45.2%, which accounted for 3.4% of the total import, and mostly refers to electricity.
Observing the total export of the Republic of Croatia in the first nine months of 2021, the most exported goods were petroleum and petroleum products, worth 8.8 billion kuna, electrical machinery, appliances and devices, worth 7.6 billion kuna, as well as medicinal and pharmaceutical products, worth 5.8 billion kuna.
In the same period of 2021, the most imported goods were petroleum and petroleum products, worth 12.6 billion kuna, road vehicles, worth 10.4 billion kuna, as well as medicinal and pharmaceutical products, worth 9.0 billion kuna.