ZAGREB, Feb 10 (Hina) - Croatia's foreign trade deficit in 2002 reached the amount of US$5.8 billion, which exceeds the value of last year's exports by US$917 million. The export-import ratio in 2002 was at a very low 45.7%.
ZAGREB, Feb 10 (Hina) - Croatia's foreign trade deficit in 2002
reached the amount of US$5.8 billion, which exceeds the value of
last year's exports by US$917 million. The export-import ratio in
2002 was at a very low 45.7%. #L#
Exports totalled US$4.9 billion, which is an increase of five
percent compared to 2001.
At the same time, imports rose by 17.1 percent to US$10.7 billion,
read provisional data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics
at its web site.
This increased foreign trade deficit to as much as US$5.8 billion, a
29.8% increase compared to the previous year.
Last year's foreign trade deficit exceeded the record deficit from
1997, which totalled US$5.1 billion. Last year's export-import
ratio dropped to 45.7%, which is the lowest rate in the past decade,
with the exception of 1997. The export-import ratio in 2001 was
51%.
The second most important export market last year, which Germany
used to be for a long time, was Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is among
the few countries where Croatia realises surplus exports.
Italy continues to be the country's main trade partner, with
exports totalling slightly more than US$1.1 billion, only 0.6% more
than in 2001, and imports totalling US$1.85 billion, an increase of
11.6%.
Exports to Germany dropped by as much as 11.3% to 611 million
dollars, while imports from that country totalled 1.7 billion
dollars or 10% more.
Exports to Bosnia-Herzegovina increased by 25.6% to US$704
million, while imports totalled US$166 million, an increase of
31.2%.
(hina) rml sb