Croatia's commodity exports totalled HRK 65.8 billion in the first six months of 2021, up by 27.1% on the year, while imports increased by 18.3%, to HRK 99.6 billion, the State Bureau of Statistics (DZS) reported on Monday.

Croatia’s foreign trade continues to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic and partial economic lockdown the result of which was a 0.7% decrease in commodity exports and a 6.9% decrease of imports in 2020.

The foreign trade deficit increased by HRK 1.4 billion to HRK 33.7 billion. The coverage of import by export in H1 reached 66.1%.

Exports to EU countries in H1 amounted to HRK 44.6 billion or 25.6% more year-on-year. At the same time, imports from EU countries increased by 15.7% to HRK 77.1 billion.

Exports to non-EU countries increased by 30.4% to HRK 21.2 billion while imports from those countries increased by 28.3% to HRK 22.4 billion.

Expressed in euros, exports in H1 2021 totalled €8.7 billion, an increase of 26.3% on the year, while imports rose by 17.64% to €13.2 billion.

The trade deficit was €4.46 billion.

Exports to EU countries in the first six months increased by 24.9% to €5.9 billion, while imports rose by 15.1% to €10.2 billion. Exports to non-EU countries went up by 29.4% to €2.8 billion, while imports from those countries grew by 27.4% to €2.97 billion.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)