In October, compared to the same period last year, total exports of goods increased by 2,1 % to EUR 7 990,2 million and total imports decreased by 4,5 % to EUR 7 152,5 million. The foreign trade balance was in surplus in the amount of EUR 837,7 million (by EUR 506 million higher than in October 2019).
In January-October 2020, the foreign trade balance was in surplus in the amount of EUR 2 350,6 million.
The Slovak Republic had the highest surplus with Germany (EUR 3 371,7 million), France (EUR 2 220,4 million), the United Kingdom (EUR 1 683,9 million), Austria (EUR 1 650,9 million), Poland (EUR 1 474,9 million), the United States (EUR 1 448,2 million), Hungary (EUR 1 039,3 million), Italy (EUR 735 million), Romania (EUR 693 ,1 million), Spain (EUR 611,9 million) and the Czech Republic (EUR 595,1 million). The largest deficit was with Vietnam (EUR 3 033,8 million), the Republic of Korea (EUR 2 553,4 million), China (EUR 2 245,1 million), and the Russian Federation (EUR 1 858,6 million), Malaysia (EUR 453,2 million), Taiwan (EUR 258,5 million) and Japan (EUR 165 million).
Goods were exported from the Slovak Republic in the amount of EUR 61 403,1. Compared to the same period of 2019, total exports decreased by 8,7 %.
In terms of goods, exports of passenger cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for transport of persons decreased the most by EUR 556,1 million, monitors and projectors, reception apparatus for television by EUR 430,7 million, parts and accessories of motor vehicles by EUR 366,4 million, flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, hot-rolled by EUR 247,3 million and electrical lighting and signaling equipment by EUR 225,5 million. The largest increase was recorded in exports of wheat and rye by EUR 61 million and lifting and handling equipment and machinery such as lifts, escalators, teleferics and conveyors by EUR 52,7 milion.
As for the most important trading partners, exports to Germany decreased by 8,8 %, the Czech Republic by 12,7 %, Poland by 3 %, France by 0,3 %, Hungary by 9,7 %, Austria by 9,4 %, Italy by 16,1 %, the United Kingdom by 22,8 %, Romania by 7,6 %, Spain by 20,8 % and the Netherlands by 7,4 %. Exports to the United States increased by 2 % and China by 11,8 %.
As for the main economic groupings, exports to EU countries decreased by 9,1 % (accounting for 78,8 % of total Slovak exports) and to OECD countries also by 9,1 % (representing 87,5 % of total Slovak exports).
Goods were imported to the Slovak Republic in the amount of EUR 59 052,5 with a year-on-year decrease of 10,9 %.
In terms of goods, imports of parts and accessories of motor vehicles decreased the most by EUR 949,9 million, passenger cars and other motor vehicles principally designed transport of persons by EUR 488 million, wires and cables by EUR 415,3 million, telephone sets, including telephones for the cellular network by EUR 414,4 million and oil gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons by EUR 411,4 million.
Imports of electric accumulators, including their separators, increased significantly by EUR 551,1 million, monitors and projectors, reception apparatus for television by EUR 177,2 million and medicines for retail sake EUR 154,1 million.
In relation to the most important trading partners, imports from Germany decreased by 6,5 %, the Czech Republic by 14 %, China by 5,7 %, Poland by 11,4 %, Vietnam by 9,7 %, Hungary by 18,1 %, The Republic of Korea by 20,1 %, the Russian Federation by 24,9 %, France by 4 %, Italy by 17,3 % and Austria by 17,9 %.
In terms of the main economic groupings, compared to the same period of 2019, imports from EU countries decreased by 9,1 % (accounting for 66,8 % of total imports) and from OECD countries by 12,6 % (representing 65,5 % of total imports from the Slovak Republic).