In November 2017, trade increased

News
Posted on 10 January 2018, 10:00
According to Statistics Estonia, in November 2017 compared to November 2016, the exports of goods increased by 8% and imports by 9%. The growth in exports and imports was broad-based, a small increase occurred in most commodity sections.

In November 2017, exports from Estonia amounted to 1.2 billion euros and imports to Estonia to 1.3 billion euros. The trade deficit was 111 million euros (in November 2016, it was 94 million euros).

In November 2017, the top destination countries of Estonia’s exports were Finland (16% of Estonia’s total exports), Sweden (12%) and Latvia (10%). The biggest increase occurred in exports to Latvia (up by 27 million euros), Saudi Arabia (up by 23 million euros) and the United States (up by 16 million euros). In exports to Latvia, the exports of mineral products (fuel additives, electricity) and transport equipment (motor cars) increased. There was also an increase in the exports of agricultural products (barley) to Saudi Arabia and in the exports of electrical equipment (communication equipment) to the United States. The biggest decrease occurred in exports to Sweden (down by 50 million euros), where less electrical equipment was delivered.

The biggest share in exports was held by electrical equipment, followed by agricultural products and food preparations, and wood and articles of wood. The greatest increase was in the exports of mineral products (up by 17 million euros), mechanical appliances (up by 16 million euros), and wood and articles of wood (up by 15 million euros). The exports of electrical equipment decreased (down by 17 million euros).

The share of goods of Estonian origin in total exports was 73% in November 2017. The exports of goods of Estonian origin grew 8% and re-exports 9%. The exports of goods of Estonian origin grew the most in the commodity sections of mineral fuels, cereals, and wood and articles of wood. Among the main destination countries, the exports of goods of Estonian origin had the highest share (above 90%) in exports to Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

The main countries of consignment in November 2017 were Finland (13% of Estonia’s total imports), Germany (11%), Lithuania (9%), Latvia (9%) and Sweden (9%). The biggest increase occurred in imports from Sweden (up by 25 million euros), Poland (up by 21 million euros) and Finland (up by 16 million euros). Transport equipment (motor cars) was imported the most from Sweden, raw materials and products of chemical industry (medicaments) from Poland and mineral products (electricity) from Finland. Imports from Hungary decreased the most (down by 5 million euros), with less electrical equipment imported.

The main commodities imported to Estonia were electrical equipment, transport equipment, and agricultural products and food preparations. The biggest increase was in the imports of raw materials and products of chemical industry (up by 31 million euros), transport equipment (up by 28 million euros) and mechanical appliances (up by 15 million euros).

In November 2017, the foreign trade export volume index increased by 4% and the import volume index by 20% compared to the same period of 2016.

Estonia’s foreign trade by month, 2015–2017

Main foreign trade partners of Estonia, November 2017
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 1 151 100 8 TOTAL 1 263 100 9
EU-28 815 71 4 EU-28 1 048 83 9
Euro area 19 577 50 17 Euro area 19 738 58 7
Non-EU 336 29 21 Non-EU 215 17 8
1. Finland 189 16 5 1. Finland 159 13 11
2. Sweden 135 12 -27 2. Germany 134 11 6
3. Latvia 113 10 32 3. Lithuania 120 9 1
4. Russia 87 8 20 4. Latvia 116 9 6
5. Germany 78 7 15 5. Sweden 113 9 29
6. Lithuania 71 6 16 6. Poland 104 8 26
7. Norway 46 4 -2 7. Russia 73 6 8
8. Netherlands 39 3 31 8. Netherlands 70 6 11
9. USA 38 3 73 9. China 47 4 9
10. Denmark 33 3 -20 10. United Kingdom 35 3 6
Exports and imports by commodity section, November 2017
Commodity section (chapter) by Combined Nomenclature (CN) Exports Imports Balance, million euros
million euros share, % change compared to same period of previous year, % million euros share, % change compared to same period of previous year, %
TOTAL 1 151 100 8 1 263 100 9 -111
Agricultural products and food preparations (I–IV) 138 12 11 136 11 4 2
Mineral products (V) 97 8 22 106 8 -1 -9
Raw materials and products of chemical industry (VI) 64 6 24 129 10 31 -65
Articles of plastics and rubber (VII) 39 3 14 71 6 14 -32
Wood and articles of wood (IX) 125 11 14 46 4 19 79
Paper and articles thereof (X) 32 3 11 26 2 8 6
Textiles and textile articles (XI) 35 3 5 55 4 1 -21
Base metals and articles of base metal (XV) 86 7 19 113 9 13 -27
Mechanical appliances (84) 99 9 19 129 10 13 -30
Electrical equipment (85) 190 17 -8 198 16 3 -8
Transport equipment (XVII) 76 7 21 137 11 25 -61
Optical, measuring, precision instruments (XVIII) 39 3 15 31 2 22 8
Miscellaneous manufactured articles (XX) 99 9 -1 38 3 14 61
Other 34 2 -21 47 4 -29 -13

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 December 2017, and on the customs declaration data of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, which were sent to Statistics Estonia on 20 December 2017. Statistics Estonia published the monthly summary of foreign trade in 11 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.