Growth in foreign trade slowed down in April: exports were up by 3% and imports by 1%
According to Statistics Estonia, in April 2025, Estonia’s exports of goods grew by 3% and imports by 1%. Exports of goods amounted to about 1.6 billion and imports to nearly 1.9 billion euros at current prices. The trade deficit was 332 million euros, which is 13 million less than in April last year.
Jane Leppmets, foreign trade analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that the most significant changes in April concerned extra-EU trade. “Exports to EU countries were up by 8% and imports from the EU fell by 1%. In trade with non-EU countries, exports declined by 10% while imports grew by 16%. Year on year, there were decreased exports from Estonia to the United States, Russia and Singapore, and increased imports from Turkey and Switzerland,” explained Leppmets.
Compared with April 2024, exports of goods of Estonian origin were up by 2% in April this year. The share of goods of Estonian origin remained at the same level year on year and was 64% of total exports in April 2025.
Exports of transport equipment grew the most in April
The main commodities exported in April were electrical equipment (15% of Estonia's total exports), agricultural products and food preparations (13%), wood and articles of wood (11%), and transport equipment (11%). The biggest year-on-year increases were seen in the exports of transport equipment (up by 34 million euros, or 24%) and agricultural products and food preparations (up by 27 million euros, or 15%). Exports of mineral products decreased the most, falling by 60 million euros (41%).
Estonia’s top export partner in April was Finland (15% of total exports), followed by Latvia (11%) and Lithuania (10%). The main commodities exported were electrical equipment to Finland and transport equipment to Latvia and Lithuania. Compared with April last year, the biggest increase occurred in exports to Lithuania (up by 31 million euros) and Latvia (up by 30 million euros), resulting from greater dispatches of transport equipment. Exports to the United States declined the most, by 33 million euros, with fewer exports of mineral products than in the previous year.
Imports of goods from Latvia increased the most
The main commodities imported in April were transport equipment (15% of Estonia’s total imports), agricultural products and food preparations (13%), and electrical equipment (12%). Compared with April 2024, the biggest increase occurred in the imports of transport equipment which were up by 40 million euros (17%). The greatest decrease occurred in the imports of mineral products (down by 41 million euros, or 21%).
In April, the top partner countries for imports of goods were Latvia (12% of Estonia’s total imports), Germany (11%), Finland (10%) and Lithuania (10%). The main commodities imported were mineral products from Latvia, Finland and Lithuania, and transport equipment from Germany. Compared with April last year, the greatest rise occurred in imports from Latvia (up by 36 million euros), with increased arrivals of mineral products. The biggest fall occurred in imports of goods from Lithuania, which were down by 23 million euros, mainly due to fewer arrivals of mineral products.
Month | Exports, million euros | Imports, million euros | Balance, million euros | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 2025 | Change, % | 2024 | 2025 | Change, % | 2024 | 2025 | |
TOTAL | 5,638 | 6,260 | 11 | 6,737 | 7,442 | 10 | -1,099 | -1,182 |
January | 1,338 | 1,507 | 13 | 1,583 | 1,835 | 16 | -246 | -328 |
February | 1,322 | 1,475 | 12 | 1,581 | 1,774 | 12 | -259 | -299 |
March | 1,456 | 1,715 | 18 | 1,704 | 1,938 | 14 | -249 | -223 |
April | 1,523 | 1,563 | 3 | 1,868 | 1,895 | 1 | -345 | -332 |
| Country of destination, group of countries | Exports, million euros | Share, % | Change on same month of previous year, % | Country of consignment, group of countries | Imports, million euros | Share, % | Change on same month of previous year, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 1,563 | 100 | 3 | TOTAL | 1,895 | 100 | 1 |
| EU-27 | 1,173 | 75 | 8 | EU-27 | 1,564 | 83 | -1 |
| Euro area 20 | 879 | 56 | 8 | Euro area 20 | 1,166 | 62 | -3 |
| Non-EU | 391 | 25 | -10 | Non-EU | 331 | 17 | 16 |
| 1. Finland | 233 | 15 | -8 | 1. Latvia | 229 | 12 | 19 |
| 2. Latvia | 169 | 11 | 22 | 2. Germany | 212 | 11 | -9 |
| 3. Lithuania | 152 | 10 | 25 | 3. Finland | 198 | 10 | -10 |
| 4. Sweden | 137 | 9 | -3 | 4. Lithuania | 195 | 10 | -10 |
| 5. Germany | 123 | 8 | 10 | 5. Sweden | 151 | 8 | 15 |
| 6. Poland | 65 | 4 | 25 | 6. Poland | 141 | 7 | -8 |
| 7. Netherlands | 60 | 4 | 10 | 7. Netherlands | 113 | 6 | -5 |
| 8. Norway | 57 | 4 | 38 | 8. China | 70 | 4 | 9 |
| 9. USA | 45 | 3 | -42 | 9. Czechia | 52 | 3 | 60 |
| 10. United Kingdom | 45 | 3 | 46 | 10. Italy | 52 | 3 | 7 |
| Commodity section (chapter) by Combined Nomenclature (CN) | Exports | Imports | Balance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Million euros | Share, % | Change on same month of previous year, % | Million euros | Share, % | Change on same month of previous year, % | Million euros
| |
| TOTAL | 1,563 | 100 | 3 | 1,895 | 100 | 1 | -332 |
| Agricultural products and food preparations (I–IV) | 204 | 13 | 15 | 254 | 13 | 5 | -50 |
| Mineral products (V) | 86 | 5 | -41 | 153 | 8 | -21 | -67 |
| Raw materials and products of chemical industry (VI) | 77 | 5 | 4 | 180 | 10 | 4 | -103 |
| Articles of plastics and rubber (VII) | 47 | 3 | -4 | 98 | 5 | 14 | -51 |
| Wood and articles of wood (IX) | 178 | 11 | 7 | 62 | 3 | 12 | 116 |
| Paper and articles thereof (X) | 32 | 2 | -5 | 38 | 2 | 24 | -6 |
| Textiles and textile articles (XI) | 34 | 2 | -7 | 67 | 4 | 8 | -33 |
| Base metals and articles of base metal (XV) | 128 | 8 | -4 | 173 | 9 | 5 | -45 |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances (84) | 136 | 9 | -4 | 171 | 9 | 2 | -36 |
| Electrical equipment (85) | 229 | 15 | 4 | 225 | 12 | -2 | 4 |
| Transport equipment (XVII) | 174 | 11 | 24 | 277 | 15 | 17 | -103 |
| Optical, measuring, precision instruments (XVIII) | 47 | 3 | -3 | 41 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Miscellaneous manufactured articles (XX) | 106 | 7 | 9 | 47 | 2 | 8 | 59 |
| Other | 87 | 6 | 41 | 110 | 6 | -23 | -23 |
Starting from 2025, Statistics Estonia prepares EU imports statistics using detailed data and estimates from other Member States concerning their exports to Estonia. The data are validated by Statistics Estonia and combined with administrative data. 2025 data based on the new methodology were first published on 12 March 2025. Read more about the changes here (in Estonian).
Statistics Estonia performs the statistical activity “Foreign trade” for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications with the aim to determine how exporting and importing enterprises are performing in Estonia.
See also the foreign trade section on our website. Statistics Estonia’s foreign trade application provides visualised foreign trade data for Estonia.
More detailed data have been published in the statistical database. Due to rounding, the sum of rows in some tables may differ from the sum total of the column.
When using Statistics Estonia’s data and graphs, please indicate the source.
For further information:
Heidi Kukk
Media Relations Manager
Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 5696 6484
press [at] stat.ee