In October, trade continued to decline
According to Statistics Estonia, in October 2019, compared to October 2018, the exports of goods decreased by 7% and imports by 6%. The biggest decline, by nearly a fifth, was recorded in trade with non-EU countries.
In October, Estonia’s exports of goods amounted to 1.27 billion euros and imports to 1.45 billion euros at current prices. The trade deficit was 184 million euros, which is 6 million euros less than in October 2018.
The top destination countries of Estonia’s exports were Finland (17% of total exports), Sweden (11%) and Latvia (9%). The biggest decrease occurred in exports to the USA (down by 83 million euros) and Singapore (down by 37 million euros), while exports to Belgium (up by 21 million euros) and Russia (up by 16 million euros) increased the most. Less electrical equipment was dispatched to the USA and less mineral products to Singapore. At the same time, exports of mineral products grew to Belgium and of medical instruments to Russia.
The biggest exports from Estonia were electrical equipment, agricultural products and food preparations (both accounting for 12% of Estonia’s total exports) as well as wood and articles of wood (11%). The greatest decline in exports came from mineral products (down by 108 million euros) and electrical equipment (down by 71 million euros). Exports increased the most for agricultural products and food preparations (up by 49 million euros).
Goods of Estonian origin accounted for 69% of the total exports of goods. Their exports decreased by 10% and re-exports increased by 2% compared to October 2018. The largest shares of goods of Estonian origin were exported to Finland (20%), Sweden (14%) and Germany (7%). The decrease in the exports of these products was mainly on account of mineral products (shale oil, processing oil) and electrical equipment (communication equipment). The biggest increase occurred in the exports of agricultural products and food preparations (wheat, barley).
The main countries of consignment were Finland (13% of total imports), Lithuania (12%) and Germany (10%). Imports decreased the most from Russia (down by 45 million euros) and Sweden (down by 17 million euros), with respectively mineral products and electrical equipment decreasing the most. Imports increased the most from France (up by 14 million euros) and Latvia (up by 12 million euros). From France, more transport equipment, and from Latvia, more mineral products were imported.
The main commodities imported to Estonia were mineral products (14% of total imports), transport equipment (12%) and electrical equipment (11%). The biggest decrease occurred in the imports of mineral products (down by 77 million euros) and electrical equipment (down by 59 million euros). The imports of transport equipment (up by 26 million euros) increased the most.
| Month | Exports, million euros | Imports, million euros | Balance, million euros | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | change, % | 2018 | 2019 | change, % | 2018 | 2019 | |
| TOTAL | 11,966 | 12,102 | 1 | 13,484 | 13,477 | 0 | -1,518 | -1,376 |
| January | 1,035 | 1,157 | 12 | 1,254 | 1,279 | 2 | -219 | -121 |
| February | 1,118 | 1,163 | 4 | 1,203 | 1,251 | 4 | -85 | -88 |
| March | 1,143 | 1,238 | 8 | 1,344 | 1,404 | 4 | -201 | -166 |
| April | 1,195 | 1,238 | 4 | 1,342 | 1,389 | 4 | -147 | -152 |
| May | 1,238 | 1,333 | 8 | 1,407 | 1,434 | 2 | -169 | -101 |
| June | 1,269 | 1,172 | -8 | 1,404 | 1,282 | -9 | -135 | -110 |
| July | 1,193 | 1,176 | -1 | 1,319 | 1,376 | 4 | -126 | -200 |
| August | 1,184 | 1,153 | -3 | 1,345 | 1,250 | -7 | -162 | -97 |
| September | 1,231 | 1,203 | -2 | 1,315 | 1,360 | 3 | -84 | -157 |
| October | 1,361 | 1,269 | -7 | 1,551 | 1,453 | -6 | -190 | -184 |
| 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 | 1,269 | 100 | -7 | TOTAL | 1,453 | 100 | -6 |
| EU-28 | 899 | 71 | 0 | EU-28 | 1,168 | 80 | -2 |
| Euro area 19 | 640 | 50 | 4 | Euro area 19 | 861 | 59 | 0 |
| Non-EU | 371 | 29 | -19 | Non-EU | 285 | 20 | -19 |
| 1. Finland | 217 | 17 | 0 | 1. Finland | 186 | 13 | -2 |
| 2. Sweden | 137 | 11 | -4 | 2. Lithuania | 169 | 12 | -4 |
| 3. Latvia | 115 | 9 | -7 | 3. Germany | 145 | 10 | -8 |
| 4. Russia | 84 | 7 | 24 | 4. Latvia | 136 | 9 | 10 |
| 5. Lithuania | 80 | 6 | 17 | 5. Sweden | 115 | 8 | -13 |
| 6. Germany | 70 | 6 | -5 | 6. Russia | 106 | 7 | -30 |
| 7. USA | 65 | 5 | -56 | 7. Poland | 88 | 6 | -3 |
| 8. Norway | 52 | 4 | 1 | 8. Netherlands | 61 | 4 | -10 |
| 9. Belgium | 48 | 4 | 77 | 9. China | 42 | 3 | -22 |
| 10. Denmark | 42 | 3 | -29 | 10. France | 42 | 3 | 49 |
| Commodity section (chapter) by Combined Nomenclature (CN) | Exports | Imports | Balance, million euros | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| million euros | share, % | change on same period of previous year, % | million euros | share, % | change on same period of previous year, % | ||
| TOTAL | 1,269 | 100 | -7 | 1,453 | 100 | -6 | -184 |
| Agricultural products and food preparations (I–IV) | 151 | 12 | 49 | 144 | 10 | 4 | 8 |
| Mineral products (V) | 116 | 9 | -48 | 204 | 14 | -27 | -88 |
| Raw materials and products of chemical industry (VI) | 71 | 6 | 6 | 123 | 8 | -2 | -52 |
| Articles of plastics and rubber (VII) | 44 | 3 | 6 | 81 | 6 | -2 | -37 |
| Wood and articles of wood (IX) | 138 | 11 | -6 | 48 | 3 | -10 | 89 |
| Paper and articles thereof (X) | 30 | 2 | -3 | 27 | 2 | 12 | 3 |
| Textiles and textile articles (XI) | 35 | 3 | 1 | 65 | 4 | -4 | -29 |
| Base metals and articles of base metal (XV) | 105 | 8 | -4 | 136 | 9 | 2 | -30 |
| Mechanical appliances (84) | 129 | 10 | 17 | 144 | 10 | 1 | -15 |
| Electrical equipment (85) | 153 | 12 | -32 | 161 | 11 | -27 | -8 |
| Transport equipment (XVII) | 90 | 7 | 20 | 167 | 12 | 19 | -77 |
| Optical, measuring, precision instruments (XVIII) | 45 | 4 | 13 | 35 | 2 | -3 | 9 |
| Miscellaneous manufactured articles (XX) | 112 | 9 | 0 | 51 | 4 | 24 | 62 |
| Other | 49 | 4 | 16 | 67 | 5 | 3 | -19 |
The statistics are based on the questionnaires “Intrastat” and “Exports (sale of fish and crustaceans in foreign waters and ports)”, the due dates of which were, respectively, 14 and 15 November 2019, and on the customs declaration data of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, which were sent to Statistics Estonia on 20 November 2019. Statistics Estonia published the monthly summary of foreign trade in 14 working days. In the case of the statistical activity “Foreign trade”, the main representative of public interest is the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, commissioned by whom Statistics Estonia collects and analyses the data necessary for conducting the statistical activity.