BRATISLAVA, July 9, (WEBNOVINY) — Slovakia’s foreign trade surplus continues to show significant growth. According to preliminary data of the Statistics Office, the trade surplus overstepped 2 billion euros already after the first five months of this year and represented 2.043 billion euros at the end of May. In May alone, the trade surplus swelled by 560.1 million euros. In annual terms, the foreign trade surplus was better by nearly 1.3 billion euros. In comparison, last year, when Slovakia showed a record high trade surplus of over 2.4 billion euros, the balance exceeded 2 billion euros as late as in October.
Overall imports of goods in the fifth month dropped in yearly terms for the first time this year by 2.1 percent to 4.716 billion euros. On the contrary, exports maintained a yearly growth, while its dynamics decelerated to 7.2 percent. Goods worth 5.276 billion euros were exported from Slovakia in May. In the January-May period, overall imports of goods rose 9.3 percent on the previous year to 25.002 billion euros and overall exports increased by 3.8 percent to 22.959 billion euros.
Following a period of trade deficit 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 2.4 billion euros.
SITA
