Bulgaria’s negative balance in trade exchange reached 1.4 bln leva in 2007 first quarter, shows data on the country’s export and import announced by the National Statistics Institute (NSI) today. Export in the period was worth 1.9 bln leva and import was worth 3.3 bln leva, BTA added.

The country’s negative balance reached 2.9 bln leva. The country’s export in the first quarter amounted to 5.5 bln leva and import to 8.5 bln leva. Export to the EU countries accounted for 3.6 bln leva in the period and EU import for 5.1 bln leva.

During the period concerned export of machines, equipment and vehicles rose 48.6 per cent, followed by raw materials – 33.2% and fizzy drinks, alcoholic beverages and tobacco export – 22 per cent. The most significant decrease in export is seen in that of mineral fuels, oil and related products – 41.6 per cent. Import of such has decreased by 26.1 per cent.

Import of fizzy drinks, alcoholic beverages and tobacco grew nearly four times.
Import from Ukraine has increased a little over three times and from the United Arab Emirates, China, Russia and Norway has doubled.

Export to Macedonia stands at 5.5 per cent and to Turkey at 21.2 per cent. Export to the US is down 0.5 per cent but the biggest decrease is seen in export to South Africa which is 92.3 per cent down.

Import from Vietnam grew more than four times, from Croatia it is four times higher and from Macedonia it is three times higher in first quarter. Bosnia and Herzegovina, India and Georgia import is up 62.8 per cent, other similar figures are – Turkey -27.5 per cent, USA – 8.8 per cent. Russian import is down 17.2 per cent in the period and the most significant decrease is in import from South Africa – 87.3 per cent.