Bulgaria’s exports to non-EU countries drop 8% year-on-year, statistics institute says
Bulgaria’s exports to non-European Union countries in January to September 2014 were eight per cent less than in January-September 2013, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said on November 10.
In January-September 2014, exports to “third countries” added up to 11.9 billion leva while imports decreased by 2.9 per cent, adding up to 14.8 billion leva, according to preliminary figures compiled by the NSI.
Among non-EU countries, Bulgaria’s main trading partners were Turkey, Singapore, Russia, China, Macedonia and Serbia, which accounted for 53.2 per cent of exports to non-EU countries, the NSI said.
In the period January – September 2014 the total value of all exported goods (both to third countries and other EU countries) amounted to 31.8 billion leva, and compared to the corresponding period of 2013, exports decreased by 2.1 per cent while the total value of all imported goods added up to 37.7 leva and increased by 0.5 per cent.
In the period January – August 2014, Bulgarian exports to the EU increased by 2.6 per cent compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and amounted to 17.5 billion leva, while imports grew by 3.5 per cent and added up to 20.1 billion leva.
Among EU countries, the main trading of Bulgaria were Germany, Italy, Romania, Greece, France and Belgium which accounted for 71.7 per cent of exports to EU member states.
In August 2014, exports to the EU decreased by 3.5 per cent compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and amounted to 2.3 billion leva, while imports increased by 12.4 per cent and added up to 2.5 billion leva, the NSI said.
(Photo of the port of Varna, on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast: Kosi Gramatikoff)
