In November last year, trade continued to decline
According to Statistics Estonia, in November 2019, compared to November 2018, the exports and imports of goods decreased by 10%. Trade declined in most commodity sections.
In November, Estonia’s exports of goods amounted to 1.2 billion euros and imports to 1.3 billion euros at current prices. The trade deficit was 61 million euros, which remained approximately at the level of November 2018. Trade declined the most – by nearly a quarter – with non-EU countries.
The top destination countries of Estonia’s exports were Finland, Sweden and Latvia. The biggest decrease occurred in exports to the USA (down by 62 million euros), Singapore (down by 37 million euros) and Latvia (down by 21 million euros). Exports increased the most to the Netherlands (up by 32 million euros) mainly on account of fuels.
The biggest exports from Estonia were electrical equipment, agricultural products and food preparations, and wood and articles of wood. The greatest decline in exports came from electrical equipment (down by 63 million euros) and mineral products (down by 56 million euros). Exports increased the most for base metals and articles of base metal (up by 12 million euros).
Goods of Estonian origin accounted for 74% of the total exports of goods. Their exports decreased by 9% and re-exports by 13% compared to November 2018. The decrease in the exports of these products was mainly on account of electrical equipment (communication equipment), mineral products (fuel oil) and wood and articles of wood (pulpwood, planed timber).
The main countries of consignment were Finland, Lithuania and Latvia. Imports decreased the most from Russia (down by 63 million euros), China and Sweden (both down by 23 million euros), and Finland (down by 22 million euros). Imports increased the most from India and Lithuania (both up by 13 million euros). From India, more parts for aircraft, and from Lithuania, more motor spirits were imported.
The main commodities imported to Estonia were electrical equipment, transport equipment, mineral products, and agricultural products and food preparations. The biggest decrease occurred in the imports of mineral products (down by 60 million euros) and electrical equipment (down by 46 million euros).
| Month | Exports, million euros | Imports, million euros | Balance, million euros | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | change, % | 2018 | 2019 | change, % | 2018 | 2019 | |
| TOTAL | 13,354 | 13,358 | 0 | 14,931 | 14,774 | -1 | 1,577 | -1,415 |
| January | 1,035 | 1,158 | 12 | 1,254 | 1,278 | 2 | -219 | -120 |
| February | 1,118 | 1,163 | 4 | 1,203 | 1,250 | 4 | -85 | -87 |
| March | 1,143 | 1,238 | 8 | 1,344 | 1,404 | 4 | -201 | -166 |
| April | 1,195 | 1,239 | 4 | 1,342 | 1,389 | 4 | -147 | -150 |
| May | 1,238 | 1,334 | 8 | 1,407 | 1,434 | 2 | -169 | -100 |
| June | 1,269 | 1,173 | -8 | 1,404 | 1,282 | -9 | -135 | -109 |
| July | 1,193 | 1,174 | -2 | 1,319 | 1,374 | 4 | -126 | -200 |
| August | 1,184 | 1,154 | -3 | 1,345 | 1,247 | -7 | -162 | -93 |
| September | 1,231 | 1,204 | -2 | 1,315 | 1,359 | 3 | -84 | -155 |
| October | 1,361 | 1,277 | -6 | 1,551 | 1,451 | -6 | -190 | -174 |
| November | 1,388 | 1,244 | -10 | 1,447 | 1,305 | -10 | -59 | -61 |
| Country of destination, group of countries | Exports, million euros | Share, % | Change on same month of previous year, % | Country of consignment, group of countries | Imports, million euros | Share, % | Change on same month of previous year, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 1,244 | 100 | -10 | TOTAL | 1,305 | 100 | -10 |
| EU-28 | 881 | 71 | -3 | EU-28 | 1,069 | 82 | -5 |
| Euro area 19 | 615 | 49 | -4 | Euro area 19 | 786 | 60 | -2 |
| Non-EU | 363 | 29 | -24 | Non-EU | 237 | 18 | -25 |
| 1. Finland | 204 | 16 | -3 | 1. Finland | 167 | 13 | -12 |
| 2. Sweden | 134 | 11 | -9 | 2. Lithuania | 150 | 11 | 9 |
| 3. Latvia | 101 | 8 | -17 | 3. Latvia | 139 | 11 | 4 |
| 4. Russia | 76 | 6 | -3 | 4. Germany | 129 | 10 | -9 |
| 5. Germany | 74 | 6 | -14 | 5. Sweden | 109 | 8 | -17 |
| 6. Lithuania | 74 | 6 | -7 | 6. Poland | 89 | 7 | 5 |
| 7. Netherlands | 67 | 5 | 91 | 7. Russia | 72 | 6 | -47 |
| 8. USA | 52 | 4 | -54 | 8. Netherlands | 56 | 4 | 1 |
| 9. Denmark | 48 | 4 | 22 | 9. China | 37 | 3 | -38 |
| 10. Norway | 47 | 4 | -7 | 10. Italy | 36 | 3 | -18 |
| Commodity section (chapter) by Combined Nomenclature (CN) | Exports | Imports | Balance, million euros | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| million euros | share, % | change on same period of previous year, % | million euros | share, % | change on same period of previous year, % | ||
| TOTAL | 1,244 | 100 | -10 | 1,305 | 100 | -10 | -61 |
| Agricultural products and food preparations (I–IV) | 155 | 12 | 1 | 143 | 11 | 0 | 12 |
| Mineral products (V) | 131 | 10 | -30 | 149 | 11 | -29 | -19 |
| Raw materials and products of chemical industry (VI) | 63 | 5 | -11 | 114 | 9 | -4 | -50 |
| Articles of plastics and rubber (VII) | 38 | 3 | 0 | 70 | 5 | -7 | -32 |
| Wood and articles of wood (IX) | 132 | 11 | -7 | 46 | 4 | -8 | 87 |
| Paper and articles thereof (X) | 29 | 2 | -15 | 27 | 2 | 9 | 3 |
| Textiles and textile articles (XI) | 34 | 3 | -3 | 55 | 4 | -5 | -21 |
| Base metals and articles of base metal (XV) | 118 | 9 | 11 | 121 | 9 | -11 | -2 |
| Mechanical appliances (84) | 106 | 9 | -9 | 127 | 10 | -12 | -21 |
| Electrical equipment (85) | 157 | 13 | -29 | 167 | 13 | -22 | -10 |
| Transport equipment (XVII) | 86 | 7 | 8 | 154 | 12 | 6 | -69 |
| Optical, measuring, precision instruments (XVIII) | 43 | 3 | 5 | 33 | 3 | -9 | 11 |
| Miscellaneous manufactured articles (XX) | 108 | 9 | -6 | 45 | 3 | 14 | 63 |
| Other | 43 | 4 | -6 | 55 | 4 | 1 | -11 |
The statistics are based on the questionnaires “Intrastat” and “Exports (sale of fish and crustaceans in foreign waters and ports)”, the due dates of which were, respectively, 14 and 15 December 2019, and on the customs declaration data of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, which were sent to Statistics Estonia on 18 December 2019. Statistics Estonia published the monthly summary of foreign trade in 12 working days. In the case of the statistical activity “Foreign trade”, the main representative of public interest is the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, commissioned by whom Statistics Estonia collects and analyses the data necessary for conducting the statistical activity.