Bulgaria's 8-mo trade gap almost doubles to 4.1 bln euro - stats office

Exports (FOB) in the first eight months of this year increased by 41.6% year-on-year, reaching roughly 62.2 billion levs, while imports (CIF) were 45.3% higher in value at 70.2 billion levs than a year ago, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said in a monthly report.

In August alone, Bulgaria's trade gap went up to 704.9 million levs from 647.3 million levs in the same month of 2021. Exports during August grew by an annual 40.5% to 7.87 billion levs while imports added 37.2% on the year, reaching 8.58 billion levs.

In monthly terms, Bulgaria's trade deficit eased as exports caught up with imports in August compared to July when imports into the country increased by an annual 53.5% against a 37.6% rise in exports.

In the first eight months of 2022, Bulgaria's main trading partners outside the European Union were Turkey, Serbia, Ukraine, the US, North Macedonia, the UK and China. Together, they accounted for just over half of Bulgarian exports to non-EU countries, which grew by an annual 30.8% reaching 20.48 billion levs.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)