June 2023 marked a historic month for Slovenia, as the nation witnessed its highest ever levels of merchandise exports and trade surplus. Exports grew by 0.8% compared to the same month last year, hitting a peak of €5.3 billion, and the trade surplus reached an unprecedented €671 million. Part of this escalation was influenced by inflation, while the substantial 5.4% drop in imports to €4.6 billion further augmented the surplus. Though the rate of export growth slowed from 27.1% in Q1 to 0.3% in Q2, the first half of 2023 saw exports rise by 12.2% to €28.5 billion and imports increase by 3.3% to €28.7 billion. Trade with the EU decreased in Q2, while that with non-EU nations varied. From April to June, exports to the EU decreased by 5.4%, and imports dropped by 7.9%. However, exports to non-EU markets saw an 8.8% surge, while imports remained relatively steady. Major export markets included Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Croatia, and Austria, with the bulk of imports coming from Switzerland, China, Germany, Italy, and Austria. Exports to Switzerland and imports from China experienced the most growth, while imports from Russia saw the steepest drop of over 80%.
Source: sloveniatimes.com
