External Trade - April 2012

Exports grew faster than imports

06.06.2012
Code: r-6001-12
 




In April 2012, according to preliminary data of ‘border statistics’, exports and imports at current prices rose by 8.4% and 4.8%, year-on-year (y-o-y), respectively. The trade balance ended in a surplus of CZK 22.0 bn, which was by CZK 8.8 bn higher y-o-y.

According to preliminary data of ‘border statistics’, seasonally adjusted exports fell by 0,7% and imports rose by 1.4% compared to March 2012. The development trend shows decreasing exports (-0.3%) and increasing imports (+0.2%).

Year-on-year, exports and imports at current prices rose by 8.4% (CZK 19.2 bn) and 4.8% (CZK 10.4 bn) respectively. Exports of entities seated in the Czech Republic increased by 8.6% (CZK 15.5 bn) and entities seated outside the Czech Republic grew by 7.4% (CZK 3.7 bn) respectively. Imports of entities seated in the Czech Republic went up by 3.2% (CZK 5.8 bn) and imports of entities seated outside the Czech Republic increased by 13.7% (CZK 4.6 bn).

Due to depreciation of the CZK against the both main currencies, external trade grew slower in EUR (exports +6.1% and imports +2.6%) than external trade expressed in CZK; and exports and imports converted to USD went down by 3.3% and 6.5% respectively.

The trade balance ended in a surplus of CZK 22.0 bn which was by CZK 8.8 bn higher in comparison to the April 2011 surplus. The balance of trade of entities seated in the Czech Republic showed a surplus of CZK 5.5 bn (against a deficit of CZK -4.2 bn in April 2011), the trade balance of entities not seated in the Czech Republic recorded a surplus of CZK 16.5 bn (compared to a surplus of CZK 17.4 bn in April 2011).

Y-o-y, surplus rose in ‘machinery and transport equipment’ (by CZK 3.9 bn), ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles’ and ‘crude materials, inedible, except fuels’ (both by CZK 1.3 bn) and ‘manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (by CZK 0.7 bn). Deficit shrank in ‘food and live animals’ (by CZK 1.5 bn) and ‘chemicals and related products’ (by CZK 0.4 bn). On the other hand, trade gap rose in ‘mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ (by CZK 0.3 bn); and surplus in trade in ‘beverages and tobacco’ (CZK 0.3 bn) remained on the same level as in April 2011.

Total 'machinery and transport equipment' exports rose by 7.8% (CZK +9.9 bn), y-o-y. Highest increases were reported in ‘road vehicles’ (by CZK +4.1 bn) and ‘other transport equipment’ (by CZK +2.4 bn. Total 'machinery and transport equipment' imports rose by 6.6% (CZK +6.1 bn), y oy. Imports grew first of all in ‘office machines and automatic data-processing machines’ (by CZK +3.2 bn) and ‘road vehicles’ (by CZK +1.3 bn). Decreases in exports and imports were observed in ‘telecommunications and sound-recording machines’ by CZK -2.0 bn and CZK -2.6 bn respectively. ‘Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ imports grew by 10.2% (CZK +2.4 bn), of which the largest increases were observed in imports of ‘crude petroleum (+31.2% in value and +9.7% in volume). Imports of natural gas were by 8.2% higher in value, but it fell by 17.5% in volume.

The trade balance with EU Member States showed a surplus of CZK 59.0 bn, which was by CZK 2.2 bn higher, y-o-y. Trade balance with non-EU countries ended in a deficit of CZK 37.0 bn which was by CZK 6.6 bn lower, y-o-y. Surplus rose in trade with Germany (by CZK 3.4 bn), the United Kingdom (by CZK 1.4 bn) and Slovakia (by CZK 0.8 bn) and fell in trade with the Netherlands (by CZK 1.5 bn). The trade balance improved in trade with the Ukraine (by CZK 2.5 bn) as a deficit turned into a surplus. The trade gap narrowed in trade with Japan (by CZK 1.1 bn), China (by CZK 0.8 bn) and Russia (by CZK 0.2 bn). Deficit deepened in trade with Korea (by CZK 1.4 bn).

In January - April 2012, exports and imports rose by 10.6% and 5.8% respectively. The trade balance surplus amounting to CZK 116.9 billion was up by CZK 49.3 billion y-o-y. Surplus rose mainly in ‘machinery and transport equipment’ (by CZK 39.7 bn) and ‘manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (by CZK 8.7 bn). On the contrary, deficit increased in ‘mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ by CZK 5.2 bn).

The trade balance in national concept (methodology of balance of payments) reflecting performance of the Czech economy showed a surplus of CZK 6.7 bn in April 2012. The data on exports and imports of goods, calculated by using the VAT data according to this concept, are available in Table 8 and in the time series External trade in goods according to change of ownership (national concept).


Notes:
According to the CZSO sources data were obtained from 97.6% of companies (for goods dispatched) and 98.0% of companies (for goods arrived) obliged to report to the Intrastat system. Data for companies, exempted from the reporting duty, in accordance with the amended Decree No. 201/2005 Sb., and for companies that failed to report, have been imputed. The imputation methods are based on data of trade implemented that the companies reported in the previous period and data given in the VAT return forms.
After the accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union, two systems of data collection are used as a source on external trade statistics in cross-border conception (border statistics). Extrastat records data on trade with the non-EU countries and uses some data from Single Administrative Documents. Intrastat collects data on movement of goods within the European Union for entities that are obliged to provide Intrastat data. According to legal regulations of the European Communities, entities registered for Value Added Tax have a duty to provide data for Intrastat regardless of the fact, w hether an entity is or is not seated in the Czech Republic (resident or non-resident). Detailed information is available in external trade methodology: /csu/czso/whatisexternal_trade
The data for individual months of 2010 are final; the data for individual months of 2011and 2012 are preliminary. Preliminary data of the reference month are released together with updated data of the previous three months. All data are processed from basic reporting units and subsequently rounded.

Responsible manager of the CZSO: Ing. Marek Rojíček, Ph.D., Director of Macroeconomic Statistics Branch, phone (+420) 274 052 486
E-mail: marek.rojicek@czso.cz
Contact: Karel Král, Director of External Trade Statistics Department, phone (+420) 274 052 161
E-mail: karel.kral@czso.cz
Method of data collection: Intrastat forms and Single administrative documents.
End of data collection: 20 th working day after the end of the reference month
Documents available on the CZSO website: w-6001-11 External Trade of the Czech Republic –detailed breakdown (periodicity: monthly): /csu/czso/external-trade-of-the-czech-republic-december-2012-edwombu9aa
External Trade Database: /csu/czso/ep-6-opendocument
Next News Release: July 9, 2012

This press release was not edited for language.



  • avzo060612.doc

  • Annexes:
  • Table 1 External trade in goods in CZK million, year-on-year indices (‘border statistics’)
  • Table 2 External trade in goods by sections of SITC, in CZK million, share percentage, year-on-year indices (‘border statistics’)
  • Table 3 External trade in goods by group of countries in CZK million, share percentage, year-on-year indices (‘border statistics’)
  • Table 4 External trade in goods in EUR million, year-on-year indices (‘border statistics’)
  • Table 5 External trade in goods in USD million, year-on-year indices (‘border statistics’)
  • Table 6 Time series decomposition – exports, seasonal adjustment (‘border statistics’)
  • Table 7 Time series decomposition – imports, seasonal adjustment (‘border statistics’)
  • Table 8 Main external trade statistics indicators based on the national concept (the principle of change in ownership)
  • Table 9 External trade by the residency of reporting entities in 2011 and 2012 (border statistics)
  • Graph 1 Exports in CZK billion (‘border statistics’)
  • Graph 2 Imports in CZK billion (‘border statistics’)
  • Graph 3 Balance in CZK million, year-on-year-changes (‘border statistics’)
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Published: 06.06.2012
The data are valid as of the release date of the publication.


Contact: Information Services Unit - Headquarters, tel.: +420 274 056 789, email: infoservis@czso.cz