In September 2021, exports and imports of goods recorded nominal year-on-year growth rates of +10.3% and +17.5%, respectively (+16.9% and +21.9%, in the same order, in August 2021). Compared to September 2019, the rates of change were +10.8% and +7.8%, in the same order.

Excluding Fuels and lubricants, exports and imports grew by 7.8% and 10.2%, respectively (+13.1% and +16.3%, in the same order, in August 2021). Vis-à-vis September 2019, exports and imports increased by 9.0% and 5.9%, respectively. 

The deficit of trade balance in goods increased by EUR 559 million when compared with the same month of 2020 (it decreased by EUR 13 million when compared with September 2019), amounting to EUR 1,719 million in September 2021. Excluding Fuels and lubricants, the trade deficit amounted to EUR 1,061 million.

In the 3rd quarter of 2021, exports of goods increased by 12.4% and imports grew by 20.2% when compared with the same period of 2020 (+16.2% and +24.5%, in the same order, in the quarter ended in August of 2021). When compared with the 3rd quarter of 2019, exports and imports increased by 9.0% and 5.4%, respectively.

These results revise by +0.1 p.p. and +0.2 p.p. the year-on-year rates of change of exports and imports, respectively, previously presented in the quarterly flash estimate, reflecting the inclusion of new data.

In the accumulated period from January to September 2021, compared to the same period in 2019, there was an increase of 4.8% in exports (+20.1% compared to the same period in 2020) and a decrease of 1.5% in imports (+18.1% compared to 2020), with emphasis on the increases in Industrial supplies (+9.4%, +26.3% compared to 2020 in exports; +16.4%, +32.4% vis-à-vis 2020 in imports) and the decreases in Transport equipment (-11.8%, +13.3% compared to 2020 in exports; -32.8%, +4.9% vis-à-vis 2020 in imports).

This press release presents a text box dedicated to Agricultural products, given the increase recorded both in exports and imports of this group of products, between January and September 2021, compared to the same periods of 2020 (+10.0% and +8.2%, respectively) and also to 2019 (+11.1% and +2.4%, in the same order).