ZAGREB, July 2 (Hina) - After a poor start at the beginning of the year, Croatia's export is recovering gradually, although an increase in import causes the foreign trade deficit to still exceed export, which covers import by less
than 50 percent.
ZAGREB, July 2 (Hina) - After a poor start at the beginning of the
year, Croatia's export is recovering gradually, although an
increase in import causes the foreign trade deficit to still exceed
export, which covers import by less than 50 percent. #L#
Export in this year's first five months totalled US$1.9 billion,
which is 3.4 percent more than at the same time last year, the
Central Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.
Export recorded a mere one percent growth in this year's first four
months, and in the first trimester was 5.9 percent lower than at the
same time in 2001.
Import in the January-May 2002 period totalled US$3.9 billion, an
increase of 4.9 percent as against the same time last year.
The trade deficit has thus reached US$1.9 billion, 6.3 percent more
than in the first five months of 2001. Export covers import by 48.8
percent.
Export in May amounted to US$431.6 million, the highest monthly
figure this year. Import also reached record figures, US$904.5
million.
Significantly, export into the European Union in the first five
months of this year, at US$1.1 billion, was 6.2 percent higher than
at the same time in 2001.
The majority of exports were made to Italy, US$484 million, an
increase of 6.8 percent. Germany follows with US$233 million,
although this was 13.1 percent less than in the first five months of
last year. Exports to Austria grew by 39.4 percent, amounting to
US$148.6 million.
Export to Central European Free Trade Agreement markets dropped by
7.7 percent to US$215 million, of which US$157 million refers to
Slovenia, where export decreased by 9.7 percent.
A 19.6 percent increase was recorded in exports to Bosnia-
Herzegovina, which amounted to US$242 million.
As for Yugoslavia, exports there dropped by 5,2 percent to US$61.9
million.
(hina) ha