Foreign trade and import prices - December 2023

In December 2023 seasonally-adjusted data, compared to November 2023, increased for exports (+1.2%) and decreased for imports (-1.9%). Exports rose by +1.3% for EU countries and by 1.1% for non-EU countries. Imports decreased by -1.5% for EU countries and -2.5% for non-EU countries.

Over the last quarter, seasonally-adjusted data, compared to the previous one, increased for both exports (+1.4%) and imports (+0.9%).

In December 2023, compared with the same month of the previous year, exports decreased by -7.8% and imports dropped by -17.6%. Outgoing flows decreased by -8.8% for EU countries and by -7.0% for non-EU countries. Incoming flows decreased by -9.8% for EU area and dropped by -26.7% for non-EU area.

In the year 2023, compared to 2022, outgoing flows are stationary (-2.3% for EU countries and +2.5% for non-EU countries) and incoming flows decreased by -10.4% (-0.4% for EU countries and -20.9% for non-EU countries).

In December 2023, trade balance registered a surplus of +5,614 million Euros (-2,750 million Euros deficit for EU countries and +8,364 million Euros surplus for non-EU countries). Excluding energy, trade balance surplus was equal to +10,249 million Euros.

In the year 2023, the trade balance registered a surplus of +34,460 million Euros compared to the deficit of -34,054 million Euros the year earlier; excluding energy, the surplus was equal to 98,800 million Euros compared with a 76,854 million Euros surplus in 2022.

In December 2023, import prices decrease by 1.3% on monthly basis (-0.3% for the euro zone, -2.3% for the non-euro zone). Over the last three months, compared to the previous three months, import prices increase by 1.1% (stayed unchanged for the euro zone, +2.1% for the non-euro zone).

Import prices, compared to the same month a year ago, decrease by 9.4% (-2.8% for the euro zone and -14.8% for the non-euro zone). In 2023, compared with 2022, import prices decreased by 7.4% (-0.2% for the euro zone, -13.1% for the non-euro zone).