Croatian exports in January-March 2005 were 11.2 billion kuna, up 1.3 per cent from the same time last year, while imports grew four per cent, to 23.1 billion kuna, according to Central Bureau of Statistics figures.
Expressed in US dollars, exports in this year's first three months were $1.9 billion, up 7.7 per cent from the same time in 2004, while imports went up 10.7 per cent, to a little over $4 billion.
The foreign trade deficit in January-March 2005 was 11.9 billion kuna, or $2.1 billion, while the export-import ratio fell to 48.4 per cent.
Such trends were mainly the result of the growth of imports in March, when 9.4 billion kuna or $1.6 billion worth of goods were imported, which was the highest monthly increase since early 2004
Exports in March 2005 were 3.9 billion kuna or $699 million, making the export-import ratio in March a mere 42.2 per cent.