In October, compared to the corresponding period last year, total exports of goods decreased by 1 % to EUR 7 899,3 million and total imports increased by 5,3 % to EUR 7 536,2 million. The foreign trade balance was in surplus in the amount of EUR 363,1 million (by EUR 458,1 million lower than in the corresponding period last year).

The foreign trade balance for January to October 2021 was in surplus in the amount of EUR 1 978,1 million (by EUR 997,6 million lower than in the corresponding period last year).

The Slovak Republic had the highest surplus with Germany (EUR 2 877,7 million), Hungary (EUR 2 346,7 million), France (EUR 2 280,3 million), Poland (EUR 2 115,2 million), Austria (EUR 2 100,8 million), the United Kingdom (EUR 1 954,4 million), Czechia (EUR 1 584,7 million), the USA (EUR 1 431,2 million), Italy ( EUR 1067 million), and Romania (EUR 670,6 million).The largest deficit was with the Republic of Korea (EUR 3 599,1 million), Vietnam (EUR 3 145 million), China (EUR 3 081 million), the Russian Federation (EUR 3 076,7 million), Malaysia (608 ,3 EUR million), Taiwan (EUR 342,5 million), Bangladesh (EUR 248,3 million), and Thailand (EUR 213,9 million).

Goods in the amount of EUR 72 245,8 million were exported from the Slovak Republic. Compared to the corresponding period in 2020, total exports increased by 16,7 %.

In terms of goods, exports of passenger cars and other motor vehicles, designed mainly for the transport of persons, increased by EUR 1 428 million, flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, hot-rolled by EUR 741,6 million, parts, components and accessories of motor vehicles by EUR 657 million, monitors and projectors, television sets by EUR 594 million, flat rolled products of iron and non-alloy steel by EUR 303,6 million, and motor vehicles for freight transport by EUR 287,1 million.

Exports of telephone sets, including telephones for the cellular network or for other wireless networks, decreased the most by EUR 123,7 million, medicines in measuring doses or packages for retail sale by EUR 61,4 million, soybean oil and its fractions by EUR 44,9 million, railway or tramway goods vans and wagons, not self-propelled by EUR 39,2 million and internal combustion engines by EUR 36,4 million.

Within the most important trading partners, exports to Germany increased by 13,6 %, Czechia by 28,7 %, Poland by 23,4 %, Hungary by 24,9 %, France by 6,9 %, Austria by 13,9 %, Italy by 30,6 %, the United Kingdom by 10,4 %, the USA by 2 %, China by 12,4 %. Exports to the Republic of Korea decreased by 28,5 % and Norway by 18,4 %.

As for the main economic groupings, exports to EU countries increased by 17,9 % (accounting for 79,8 % of total Slovak exports) and to the OECD countries by 16,6 % (representing 87,5 % of total Slovak exports).

Goods in the amount of EUR 70 267,7 million were imported to the Slovak Republic, there was a year-on-year growth by 19,2 %.

 In terms of goods, imports of oil gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons increased by EUR 769,3 million, parts, components and accessories of motor vehicles by EUR 591,6 million, iron ores and concentrates, including roasted pyrites by EUR 473,2 million, wires and cables by EUR 415,1 million and electric accumulators, including their separators thereof by EUR 401,3 million.

Imports of telephone sets, including telephones for the cellular network, decreased the most by EUR 284,5 million, machines for moulding articles in paper pulp, paper or paperboard by EUR 72,6 million and spark-ignition reciprocating or rotary internal combustion piston engines by EUR 61 million.

In relation to the most important trading partners, imports from Germany increased by 27,2 %, Czechia by 11,1 %, China by 25 %, the Russian Federation by 51,1 %, Poland by 10,7 %, the Republic of Korea by 33 %, Vietnam by 3,9 %, France by 9,6 % and Italy by 18,4 %. Imports from Hungary decreased by 13,8 %, the United Kingdom by 4,6 % and from Switzerland by 3,6 %.

In terms of the main economic groupings, compared to the corresponding period of 2020, imports from EU countries increased by 16,3 % (representing 64,9 % of total imports) and from OECD countries by 15,2 % (accounting for 64,7 % of total imports from the Slovak Republic).