Last year's exports totalled USD 8.8 billion, a 9.8% increase from 2004, while imports rose by 11.8% to USD 1.9 billion. As a result, the foreign trade deficit increased by USD 1.1 billion or 13.7% from 2004.
The overall foreign trade deficit of USD 9.7 billion thus exceeded the overall value of exports by USD 929 million.
In 2004, exports calculated in US dollars rose by 29.7% and imports by 16.7, and the import-export ratio was 48.4%. Calculated in the domestic currency, the kuna, imports increased by 10.4% to KN 110.4 billion, and last year's trade deficit reached KN 57.9 billion.
The end of last year, however, saw more favourable trends in foreign trade, with an import-export ratio of 54.1% in December.