Exports of goods of Estonian origin increased by 4% in September
According to Statistics Estonia, in September 2024, Estonia’s exports of goods increased by 2% and imports by 3% compared with September 2023. Exports of goods amounted to 1.5 billion and imports to 1.7 billion euros at current prices. The trade deficit was 208 million euros, which is 18 million euros more than in September last year.
Jane Leppmets, analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that exports of goods increased in September and in the third quarter overall. “Although re-exports fell by 1% in September, the rise in total exports was driven by the 4% increase in exports of goods of Estonian origin. The share of goods of Estonian origin in total exports grew by one percentage point year on year, reaching 64%” added Leppmets.
There was a significant rise in trade with non-EU countries. Exports to EU countries were down and imports from the EU were stable, but there was a 21% increase in exports to non-EU countries, and imports from non-EU countries rose by 25%.
The main commodities exported in September were electrical equipment (16% of Estonia’s total exports), agricultural products and food preparations (11%), and wood and articles of wood (11%). Compared with September last year, the biggest increase occurred in the exports of electrical equipment (up by 37 million euros) and agricultural products and food preparations (up by 25 million euros). The biggest fall was recorded in the exports of mineral products – down by 26 million euros.
Estonia’s top export partners in September were Finland (16% of total exports) and Latvia (12%). The main commodities exported were electrical equipment to Finland and mineral products to Latvia. The biggest rise was registered in exports to the USA (up by 34 million euros, or 90%), Singapore (up by 29 million euros, or 15 times) and Finland (up by 18 million euros, or 8%). Compared with September last year, there were increased exports of electrical equipment to the USA and more dispatches of mineral products to Singapore and Finland. The greatest decline was recorded in exports of goods to Latvia (down by 35 million euros, or 16%), and the Netherlands (down by 30 million euros, or 38%).
The main commodities imported in September were electrical equipment (15% of Estonia’s total imports), transport equipment (14%), and agricultural products and food preparations (13%). Year on year, the biggest increases occurred in the imports of electrical equipment (up by 33 million euros), raw materials and products of chemical industry (up by 30 million euros) and transport equipment (up by 29 million euros). The imports of mineral products decreased the most, falling by 66 million euros.
In September, the top partner countries for Estonia’s imports of goods were Finland (13% of total imports), Latvia (11%) and Germany (11%). The main commodities imported were mineral products from Finland and Latvia and transport equipment from Germany. The biggest year-on-year increases were seen in imports of goods from Latvia (up by 29 million euros, or 18%) and Poland (up by 24 million euros, or 19%). There were more arrivals of mineral products from Latvia and greater imports of transport equipment from Poland. The biggest fall occurred in imports of goods from Finland (down by 84 million euros, or 27%), as there were fewer arrivals of mineral products.
In the third quarter overall, exports of goods increased by 2% and imports of goods remained at the same level compared with the third quarter of 2023. Exports of goods amounted to 4.3 billion and imports to 5.1 billion euros at current prices. The trade deficit was 750 million euros – this is 96 million euros less than in the third quarter last year.
Month | Exports, million euros | Imports, million euros | Balance, million euros | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | 2024 | Change, % | 2023 | 2024 | Change, % | 2023 | 2024 | |
TOTAL | 13,858 | 12,893 | -7 | 16,041 | 15,283 | -5 | -2,183 | -2,390 |
1st quarter | 4,881 | 4,122 | -16 | 5,429 | 4,888 | -10 | -548 | -766 |
January | 1,556 | 1,335 | -14 | 1,737 | 1,600 | -8 | -181 | -265 |
February | 1,585 | 1,330 | -16 | 1,721 | 1,589 | -8 | -136 | -259 |
March | 1,740 | 1,456 | -16 | 1,972 | 1,699 | -14 | -231 | -242 |
2nd quarter | 4,739 | 4,449 | -6 | 5,529 | 5,324 | -4 | -790 | -874 |
April | 1,489 | 1,526 | 2 | 1,730 | 1,877 | 9 | -240 | -351 |
May | 1,650 | 1,555 | -6 | 1,959 | 1,760 | -10 | -309 | -206 |
June | 1,600 | 1,369 | -14 | 1,841 | 1,686 | -8 | -241 | -317 |
3rd quarter | 4,237 | 4,322 | 2 | 5,083 | 5,072 | 0 | -846 | -750 |
July | 1,265 | 1,333 | 5 | 1,630 | 1,681 | 3 | -365 | -349 |
August | 1,486 | 1,472 | -1 | 1,777 | 1,665 | -6 | -291 | -193 |
September | 1,486 | 1,517 | 2 | 1,676 | 1,725 | 3 | -190 | -208 |
| 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 | 1,517 | 100 | 2 | TOTAL | 1,725 | 100 | 3 |
| EU-27 | 1,101 | 73 | -4 | EU-27 | 1,468 | 85 | 0 |
| Euro area 20 | 833 | 55 | -4 | Euro area 20 | 1,074 | 62 | -3 |
| Non-EU | 416 | 27 | 21 | Non-EU | 257 | 15 | 25 |
| 1. Finland | 249 | 16 | 8 | 1. Finland | 232 | 13 | -27 |
| 2. Latvia | 175 | 12 | -16 | 2. Latvia | 189 | 11 | 18 |
| 3. Lithuania | 127 | 8 | -2 | 3. Germany | 186 | 11 | -4 |
| 4. Sweden | 126 | 8 | -9 | 4. Lithuania | 172 | 10 | -7 |
| 5. Germany | 109 | 7 | 10 | 5. Poland | 153 | 9 | 19 |
| 6. USA | 71 | 5 | 90 | 6. Sweden | 150 | 9 | 4 |
| 7. Poland | 59 | 4 | 4 | 7. Netherlands | 96 | 6 | 13 |
| 8. Norway | 49 | 3 | -15 | 8. China | 62 | 4 | 7 |
| 9. Netherlands | 47 | 3 | -38 | 9. Italy | 48 | 3 | -4 |
| 10. Russia | 44 | 3 | 30 | 10. Czechia | 41 | 2 | 16 |
| 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 | 1,517 | 100 | 2 | 1,725 | 100 | 3 | -208 |
| Agricultural products and food preparations (I–IV) | 172 | 11 | 17 | 217 | 13 | 8 | -45 |
| Mineral products (V) | 133 | 9 | -16 | 159 | 9 | -29 | -26 |
| Raw materials and products of chemical industry (VI) | 77 | 5 | -5 | 164 | 9 | 23 | -87 |
| Articles of plastics and rubber (VII) | 45 | 3 | -2 | 91 | 5 | 10 | -46 |
| Wood and articles of wood (IX) | 167 | 11 | 5 | 56 | 3 | 13 | 112 |
| Paper and articles thereof (X) | 25 | 2 | -18 | 31 | 2 | 12 | -5 |
| Textiles and textile articles (XI) | 32 | 2 | -19 | 65 | 4 | -5 | -32 |
| Base metals and articles of base metal (XV) | 114 | 8 | -11 | 135 | 8 | -9 | -21 |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances (84) | 143 | 9 | 15 | 153 | 9 | 2 | -9 |
| Electrical equipment (85) | 238 | 16 | 18 | 251 | 15 | 15 | -13 |
| Transport equipment (XVII) | 144 | 9 | -9 | 235 | 14 | 14 | -92 |
| Optical, measuring, precision instruments (XVIII) | 61 | 4 | 28 | 38 | 2 | -4 | 23 |
| Miscellaneous manufactured articles (XX) | 106 | 7 | -4 | 47 | 2 | -2 | 58 |
| Other | 59 | 4 | 12 | 84 | 5 | 5 | -25 |
Starting with January 2024, the import data estimates have been partially replaced retroactively with detailed data from other countries. The data were first published in the database in the updated form on 10 June 2024. 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 +372 625 9181
press [at] stat.ee