FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2021

 

Final data of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics on foreign trade in goods in 2021 show an increase in export and import of the Republic of Croatia.

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

In 2021, according to the final data of statistics on foreign trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia, a growth in export and import, foreign trade deficit and coverage of import by export was recorded compared to 2020.

The total export of the Republic of Croatia amounted to about 144 billion kuna in 2021, which is a growth of about 32 billion kuna, or about 29%, compared to 2020. At the same time, the total import amounted to about 214 billion kuna, which is a growth of about 42 billion kuna, or about 24%, compared to 2020.

In 2021, foreign trade deficit amounted to about 70 billion kuna, which is an increase of about 16%, or 9 billion kuna, compared to the previous year. The coverage of import by export was about 67% in 2021, while in the previous year, it amounted to 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 81% in the total export in 2021, Manufacturing realised a growth in export of about 21%, thus contributing the most to the growth in the total export of the Republic of Croatia.

Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products, as a part of Manufacturing, with the share of about 5% in the total export, contributed the most to the increase in export, with about 61%.

Manufacture of electrical equipment had a significant impact on the increase in export, with the share of about 8% in the total export and with about 30% of the export increase.

Manufacturing also contributed the most to the increase in import of about 19% in 2021, with the share of about 87% in the total import.

Manufacture of basic metals contributed the most to the increase in import within Manufacturing, with the share of about 7% in total import and an increase of about 54%.

Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products also contributed significantly to the increase in import, with the share of about 4% in total import and an increase of 74%.

Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply realised an increase in export of 421% in 2021 compared to 2020, with the share of about 5% in total export.

Mining and quarrying realised an increase in import of about 134% in 2021 compared to the previous year and accounted for about 7% of the total import.

Machinery and transport equipment accounted for almost a quarter of the total export and import value

The highest value of export and import, i.e. almost a quarter of the total export and import of the Republic of Croatia, according to the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC), was generated by the sector Machinery and transport equipment. In 2021, export in that sector amounted to about 31 billion kuna, accounting for about 22% of the total Croatian export. In the same period, import amounted to about 53 billion kuna and had a share of about 25%.

Germany, Italy and Slovenia continue to be 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 70% of the total export in 2021, which increased by about 31% compared to 2020, and for about 77% of the total import, which increased by about 20%.

The biggest foreign trade partners from the EU in 2021 were Germany, Italy and Slovenia.

Slovenia is a partner country to which the largest quantity of goods was exported in 2021, with a share of about 13% in total export, thus increasing by about 58% compared to the previous year.

The largest share of goods import in 2021 was realised from Germany, which accounted for about 15% in total Croatian import and increased by 20% compared to 2020.

Italy is still one of the most important partner countries in the total trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia, with the share of almost 13% in both total export and total import in 2021.

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

In 2021, foreign trade in goods with non-EU Member States accounted for about 30% of the total export, which increased by about 23%, and for about 23% of the total import, which increased by about 39% compared to 2020.

The largest foreign trade partners outside the EU, with which the Republic of Croatia realised trade in goods in 2021, were Bosnia and Herzegovina, the USA and Serbia. In 2021, almost 9% of the total Croatian export was realised with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which grew by about 28% compared to the previous year, while import grew by about 46%.

Republic of Croatia in EU

According to the provisional data of Eurostat, the import of goods in the EU increased by 23% in 2021 compared to 2020, while the export of goods increased by 13%.

Export within the EU increased by 20% in all Member States between 2020 and 2021. The largest increase, of 31%, was realised by Croatia.

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 tax payers whose value of trading in goods with EU Member States exceeds the exemption threshold determined for the reference year. For 2021, an exemption threshold of 2.5 million kuna for arrivals and of 1.3 million kuna for dispatches has been determined. In order to achieve complete harmonisation with EU methodology and legislation, data on foreign trade in goods have been supplemented with 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, the Regulation (EU) No. 2019/2152 as well as the Commission Implementing Regulation No. 2020/1197, the Official Statistics Act (NN, No. 25/20), the Annual Implementation Plan of Statistical Activities of the Republic of Croatia 2021 (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, the Regulation (EU) No. 2019/2152 as well as the Commission Implementing Regulation No. 2020/1197 and No. 2021/1225 and the 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 2021 (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 criterions 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 exclude the data for Northern Ireland.

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

Only Single Administrative Documents containing the date of acceptance 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 is done. Monthly data for 2020 and 2021 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 Communities
FOB	free on board
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 Petroleum Exporting Countries
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

 

Published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, Ilica 3, P.O.B. 80
Phone: (+385 1) 48 06 111
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Persons responsible:
Milenka Primorac Čačić, Director of Business Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

Prepared by:
Boro Žderić and Dubravka Drempetić

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