Surplus on external trade in goods is EUR 644 million in March
In March 2019, the export volume was 4.0% and the import volume 4.7% higher than in the same period of the previous year. The surplus was EUR 644 million, EUR 54 million less than in March 2018. In January–March 2019, the surplus on the balance of external trade in goods amounted to EUR 1.9 billion, EUR 294 million less than a year earlier.
In March 2019:
The value of exports amounted to EUR 9.7 billion (HUF 3,059 billion) and that of imports to EUR 9.0 billion (HUF 2,856 billion).
In March 2019 compared to the same month of the previous year:
The value of exports rose by 4.9% and that of imports by 5.9% in EUR terms.
The surplus on external trade in goods went down by EUR 54 million. (The balance is EUR 34 million less than the value published in the first estimate.)
The forint (HUF) price level of external trade in goods increased by 2.5% in imports and by 2.1% in exports compared to the same month of the previous year. The terms of trade worsened by 0.4%. The forint exchange rate weakened by 1.1% against the euro and by 10% against the dollar.
Calculated at prices in March 2018, trade in machinery and transport equipment grew by 3.5% in exports and by 8.2% in imports. The exports of road vehicles rose by more than one-tenth and their imports slightly compared to the same period of the previous year. The growth was due on both sides to changes in trade in passenger cars and their parts. The exports of telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment increased by more than one-third and their imports by almost half. The growth of both exports and imports was due to changes in trade in apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data. In addition, changes in the imports of parts of telephone sets and in the exports of base stations of apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data and of television sets were also dominant.
The export volume of manufactured goods was up by 3.4% and their imports by 3.6%.
The export volume of fuels and electric energy fell by 4.1% and their import volume by 12%, which was consistent with changes in the exports of natural and manufactured gas and in the imports of petroleum, petroleum products and related materials.
The export volume of food, beverages and tobacco expanded by 11% and their imports by 3.2%.
The volume of exports to EU member states rose by 7.9% and that of imports from there by 2.8%. The surplus on external trade in goods increased by EUR 424 million and amounted to EUR 1.2 billion. These countries accounted for 82% of exports and 75% of imports.
In extra-EU trade, the volume of exports decreased by 11%, while that of imports was up by 11%. The balance of external trade in goods with this group of countries deteriorated by EUR 478 million and showed a deficit of EUR 520 million.
In January–March 2019:
The value of exports amounted to EUR 27.7 billion (HUF 8,826 billion) and that of imports to EUR 25.9 billion (HUF 8,240 billion).
In January–March 2019 compared to the same period of the previous year:
The volume of exports rose by 5.6% and that of imports by 6.5%.
The surplus on the balance of external trade in goods went down by EUR 294 million and amounted to EUR 1.9 billion.
The forint price level of external trade in goods increased by 2.5% in exports and by 3.3% in imports compared to the first three months of the previous year. The terms of trade worsened by 0.8%. The forint depreciated by 2.3% against the euro and by 11% against the dollar.
External trade in goods, January–March 2019
| Denomination | Exports | Imports | Balance | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| value, at current prices | same period of previous year=100.0% | value, at current prices | same period of previous year=100.0% | value, at current prices | in same period of previous year | |
| Billion HUF | 8 826 | 108.2 | 8 240 | 110.0 | 586 | 667 |
| Million EUR | 27 736 | 105.9 | 25 883 | 107.6 | 1 853 | 2 147 |