FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2022

Final data of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics on foreign trade in goods in 2022 show an increase in export and import of the Republic of Croatia.

Growth in export, import and foreign trade deficit, decline in the coverage of import by export

According to the final data of statistics on foreign trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia, export, import, and foreign trade deficit recorded growth, while the coverage of import by export showed decline in 2022 as compared to 2021.

The total export of the Republic of Croatia in 2022 amounted to about 182 billion kuna, which is a growth of about 43 billion kuna, or about 31%, compared to 2021. At the same time, the total import amounted to about 315 billion kuna, which is a growth of about 102 billion kuna, or about 48%, compared to 2021.

Foreign trade deficit in 2022 amounted to about 134 billion kuna, which is an increase of about 78%, or about 58 billion kuna, compared to 2021. The coverage of import by export was about 58% in 2022, while in the previous year, it was about 65%.

Manufacturing had the largest impact on growth in export and import, while Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply had a significant impact on growth in export, and Mining and quarrying on growth in import

With the share of about 78% in total export in 2022, Manufacturing generated growth in export of about 22%, thus contributing the most to the growth in total export of the Republic of Croatia.

Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products, as a part of the Manufacturing sector, with the share of about 7% in total export, contributed the most to the increase in export, of about 72%.

Manufacture of food products had a significant impact on the increase in export, with the share of about 8% in total export and with about 24% of the export increase.

Manufacturing also contributed the most to the increase in import of about 33% in 2022, with the share of about 79% in total import.

Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products contributed the most to the increase in import within Manufacturing, with the share of about 7% in total import and about 158% of the import increase.

Manufacture of food products also contributed significantly to the increase in import, with the share of about 8% in total import and about 31% of the import increase.

Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply generated an increase in export of about 231% in 2022 compared to the previous year, with the share of about 6% in total export.

Mining and quarrying generated an increase in import of about 191% in 2022 compared to 2021 and accounted for about 13% of total import.

Mineral fuels and lubricants generated a fifth of the total export value and a quarter of the total import value

According to the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC), the highest value of export and import was attained in the Mineral fuels and lubricants sector. In 2022, export in that sector amounted to about 36 billion kuna, accounting for about 20% of the total Croatian export. In the same period, import amounted to about 81 billion kuna and had a share of about 26%.

Hungary, along with Italy, Germany, and Slovenia, among the most important trade partners from the EU

The most important market for the Republic of Croatia is the EU, as foreign trade in goods with EU Member States accounted for about 69% of the total export in 2022, which increased by 33% compared to the year before, and for about 71% of the total import, which increased by about 36%.

The largest foreign trade partners from the EU in 2022 were Italy, Hungary, Germany, and Slovenia.

Italy, as a partner country to which the largest quantity of goods was exported in 2022, having a share of about 12% in total export, and an increase of about 23% compared to the previous year. The largest share of goods was imported also from Italy, which accounted for about 14% in total Croatian import and generated an increase of about 62% compared to 2021.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, USA, and Serbia the most important partners outside the EU

In 2022, foreign trade in goods with non-EU countries accounted for about 31% of the total export, which increased by about 28% compared to 2021. Also, foreign trade in goods with non-EU countries accounted for about 29% of the total import, which increased by about 85% compared to 2021.

The largest foreign trade partners outside the EU with which the Republic of Croatia realised trade in goods in 2022 were Bosnia and Herzegovina, the USA, and Serbia. In 2022, about 10% of the total Croatian export was realised with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which increased by about 54% compared to the previous year, while import increased by about 47%.

Republic of Croatia in EU

According to the provisional data of Eurostat, the export of goods outside the EU increased by about 18% in 2022 compared to 2021, and the import of goods increased by about 41%. As a result, the EU's trade in goods recorded a deficit of 431.2 billion euro, which is the largest deficit ever recorded.

Trade in goods within the EU increased by about 23% in 2022 compared to 2021. The largest increase in import within the EU was recorded in Latvia, of about 45%, followed by Estonia and Croatia, of about 35%.

In 2022, the vast majority of EU Member States traded more within the EU internal market than with countries outside the EU.

 

I FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, KUNA

II FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, EURO

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Sources and methods of data collection

The data source for statistics on trading in goods with EU Member States is the Intrastat form used by the reporting units to report on arrivals and/or dispatches on a monthly basis, that is, for each month in which goods physically enter or leave the territory of the Republic of Croatia. The reporting units are all business entities, value added taxpayers whose value of trading in goods with EU Member States exceeds the exemption threshold determined for the reference year. For 2022, an exemption threshold of 2.6 million kuna for arrivals and of 1.5 million kuna for dispatches has been determined. In order to achieve complete harmonisation with the EU methodology and legislation, data on foreign trade in goods have been supplemented with the trade value below the exemption threshold after being estimated on the basis of data on supplies and acquisitions of goods in/from EU Member States provided by the Tax Administration Office of the Republic of Croatia.

The data source for statistics on trading in goods with third countries, that is, non-EU countries, are Single Administrative Documents on export and import of goods. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics receives the reviewed Single Administrative Documents from the Customs Administration of the Republic of Croatia in the form of data records.

Following basic methodological recommendations of the UN Statistical Office and Eurostat, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics statistically processes and disseminates collected Intrastat and Extrastat data as unique information on foreign trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia.

Legal basis

The legal basis for the conduct of the Intrastat survey is the European legislation related to statistics on trading in goods between EU Member States, Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council as well as the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197, the Official Statistics Act (NN, No. 25/20), the Annual Implementation Plan of Statistical Activities of the Republic of Croatia 2022 (NN, No. 42/22), and the Customs Administration Act (NN, Nos 68/13, 30/14, 115/16, 39/19 and 98/19). More detailed notes on methodology for this survey are published on the website of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics – Intrastat.

The legal basis for Extrastat is the European legislation related to statistics on trading in goods with third countries, Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council as well as the Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2020/1197 and (EU) 2021/1225, and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/1704, the EU Customs Legislations Implementation Act (NN, No. 40/16), the Official Statistics Act (NN, No. 25/20), the Annual Implementation Plan of Statistical Activities of the Republic of Croatia 2022 (NN, No. 42/22), the Customs Administration Act (NN, Nos 68/13, 30/14, 115/16, 39/19 and 98/19), and the Ordinance on Filling in the Single Administrative Document (NN, Nos 65/19 and 136/20).

Coverage and comparability

Statistics on foreign trade in goods include all goods exported from or imported into the country. Data on foreign trade in goods include both export and import based on gross inward and outward processing.

Statistical value of goods is the value of goods at the Croatian border. Values for export, i. e. dispatches, are shown as an FOB-type value, while values for import, i. e. arrivals, are shown as a CIF-type value.

Amounts expressed in foreign currencies are converted into kuna, euros and American dollars according to the monthly exchange rate lists determined for the reporting month. The mean exchange rate of the Croatian National Bank is used.

In certain tables, the sum total may not equal the sum of individual figures due to the rounding to thousands.

Data by type of activities have been presented according to the NKD 2007 (NN, Nos 58/07 and 72/07), which entered into force on 1 January 2008 and is based on the European classification NACE, Rev. 2, which is obligatory in EU Member States. Data are presented using a production approach by which export and import data are reported according to the manufacturing activity from which the product originates.

Goods listed under export and import are classified, for statistical needs, according to the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC, Rev. 4).

Data on export are shown by countries of destination, while two methodological criteria has been applied, by which data on import are shown by countries. In Extrastat, data on import are shown by countries of origin of goods, while, in Intrastat, data on arrivals of goods are presented by countries of dispatch.

As of 1 January 2021, Intrastat reporting has been changed. The Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, which entered into force on 1 January 2021, allowed Northern Ireland to remain an integral part of the customs territory of the United Kingdom, but at the same time to have certain benefits from the single market of the European Union.

The Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland for PSIs in the Republic of Croatia (for the reporting period from January 2021 onwards) means that the dispatch and arrival of goods to and from Northern Ireland must still be reported in Intrastat forms, and data are included in data on trade in goods with EU Member States. As of 1 January 2021, trade in goods with the United Kingdom is included under Other countries in Europe, and it excludes the data for Northern Ireland.

OPEC membership is subject to frequent changes. More detailed information about OPEC Member Countries is published on the website https://www.opec.org/.

Only Single Administrative Documents containing the date of receipt in a customs office in a particular month are processed for that month as well as Intrastat forms submitted for the reporting month. Already issued data for previous months are changed during the current year in order to classify subsequently received and/or corrected Intrastat forms and Single Administrative Documents for earlier periods.

Monthly data are corrected until final data processing for the current year is done (the middle of the next year). Monthly data are considered provisional until the final processing of the current year and dissemination of final data are done. Monthly data for 2021 and 2022 issued in this First Release are considered final.

Data on foreign trade in goods are available in the time series published on the website of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics under Statistics in Line; Economy – Basic Indicators (data from 2000) and Foreign Trade in Goods (data from 2010).

 

Abbreviations

CEFTA	Central European Free Trade Agreement
CIF	cost, insurance and freight
EC	European Community
EFTA	European Free Trade Association
EU	European Union
Eurostat	Statistical Office of the European Union
FOB	free on board
mln	million
NACE	Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community
n.e.c.	not elsewhere classified
n.e.s.	not elsewhere specified
NKD 2007.	National Classification of Activities, 2007 version
NN	Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia
OPEC	Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
PSI	provider of statistical information
SITC	Standard International Trade Classification
UN	United Nations
US $	American dollar
Symbols
-	no occurence
0	value not zero but less than 0.5 of the unit of measure used

 

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Milenka Primorac Čačić, Director of Business Statistics Directorate
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Boro Žderić and Dubravka Drempetić

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