BRATISLAVA, September 7, (WEBNOVINY) — Preliminary data from the Statistics Office of the Slovak Republic show a trade surplus in July of EUR 399 million, the highest monthly surplus so far this year. Although in recent months, the Statistics Office reported higher monthly trade surplus figures, in the latest revision in the previous month it has significantly reduced the preliminary figures. Thus, while it reported a cumulative surplus for six months of 2012 of over EUR 2.4 billion, now with July included, for seven month of the year the reported surplus is EUR 2.129 billion. Despite the downward revision, however, this is more than double the figure reported a year ago.
Total exports of goods from Slovakia in July reached EUR 4.978 billion, up 17.1 percent from a year ago. Total imports of goods increased by 8.3 percent to EUR 4.579 billion. For seven months of 2012, exports of goods increased by 11.4 percent year-on-year to EUR 35.549 billion and imports by 8 percent to EUR 33.42 billion.
Following a period of trade deficits mainly resulting from the economic crisis, Slovakia returned to a surplus in its trade balance. Over the past three years, foreign trade resulted in a monthly deficit only four times and has reported a cumulative annual surplus since 2009. Slovakia had a record trade surplus last year, when exports exceeded imports by more than EUR 2.4 billion.
SITA
