In April, the measures adopted to prevent the spread of coronavirus significantly contributed to the development of total imports and exports of goods. Compared with the corresponding period last year, the total export of goods decreased by 45,3 % to EUR 3 599,3 million and the total import by 39,3 % to EUR 4 059,7 million. The foreign trade balance was in deficit in the amount of EUR 460,4 million (by EUR 356,5 million higher deficit than in last April).

In the first four months of 2020, the foreign trade  balance was in deficit in the amount of EUR 765 million.

The Slovak Republic had the highest passive balance with the Republic of Korea (EUR 1 264,9), China (EUR 1 216,7 million), Vietnam (EUR 1 158,9 million), the Russian federation (EUR 1 061,4 million), Malaysia (EUR 138,8 million), Taiwan (EUR 109,7 million) and Japan (EUR 99,2 million). The highest active balance was recorded with the Slovak Republic and Germany (EUR 1 449,1 million), the UK (EUR 802,6 million), Austria (EUR 637,4 million), Poland (EUR 567,1 million), France (EUR 558,9 million), Hungary (EUR 328,5 million), Italy (EUR 307 million), the Czech Republic (EUR 300,5 million), the USA (EUR 293,5 million), Spain (EUR 233,9 million) and Romania  (EUR 222,4 million).

Goods in the amount of EUR 22 767,7 million were exported from the Slovak Republic. Compared with corresponding period of 2019, the total export decreased by 16,5 %.

In terms of goods, a decrease was recorded the most in export of motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for transport of persons by EUR 1 781,1million, monitors and projectors, reception apparatus for television by EUR 394,6 million, basic parts and accessories of motor vehicles by EUR 265,3 million, flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, hot rolled by EUR 143 million and new rubber tyres by EUR 140,4 million. Export of other lifting, handling, loading or unloading machinery (for example: lifts, escalators, conveyors, teleferics) increased by EUR 36,9 million, construction and its parts of iron or steel by EUR 29,4 million and automatic data processing machines or units thereof by EUR 24,2 million.

Within the most significant trade partners, export decreased to Germany by 19,2 %, the Czech Republic by 15,9 %, Poland by 8,2 %, Hungary by 9,5 %, France by 20,4 %, Austria by 14,9 %, the United Kingdom by 12,2 %, Italy by 23 %, the USA by 45,5 %, Spain by 19,4 %, Romania by 17,2 % and the Netherlands by 13,6 %.

In terms of the main economic groupings, export to the EU countries decreased by 16,1 % (it represented 79,6 % of the total export of the SR) and to the OECD countries by 16,8 % (it represented 88,2 % of the total export of the SR).  

Goods in the amount of EUR 23 532,8 million were imported to the Slovak Republic with a year-on-year decrease of 11,8 %.

In terms of goods, a decrease was considerable in import of basic parts and accessories of motor vehicles by EUR 608,4 million, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for transport of persons by EUR 262,3 million, wires and cables by EUR 250,1 million, seats convertible into beds by EUR 171,3 million and petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons by EUR 169,8 million. Import of electric accumulators, including separators rose by EUR 225,5 million, medicaments by EUR 81 million, monitors and projectors, television reception apparatus by EUR 55,6 million.

In relation to the most significant trade partners, import decreased from Germany by 19,5 %, the Czech Republic by 18,8 %, China by 1,5 %, the Russian federation by 20,8 %, the Korean republic by 5,2 %, Poland by 13,7 %, Hungary by 13,1 %, Vietnam by 13,5 %, France by 0,3 %, Italy by 21,7 % and Austria by 17,1 %.

In terms of the main economic groupings, import from the EU countries decreased by 12,3 % (it represented 64,8 % of the total import of the SR) and from the OECD countries by 15,5 % (it represented 63,2 % of the total import of the SR), compared with the corresponding period of 2019.