External trade in 1999 Bulgaria imported¹ goods worth 2.7 bn euro² from the EU in 1999, while it exported 2.2 bn worth to the EU market. Imports rose 11%, as compared with 1998, while exports were up by less than 1%. The country's trade deficit with the EU was 0.5 bn euro, compared to 0.2 bn in 1998. Slovenia, for its part, imported¹ goods worth 6.9 bn euro² from the EU and exported 5.3 bn worth to the EU market. Imports were up by 2%, and exports grew by 1% compared with 1998. Its trade deficit with the EU was 1.6 bn euro, compared to 1.5 bn in 1998. The figures come from two reports³ issued on 14 December 2000 by Eurostat.

In 1999, about half of Bulgaria's trade was carried out with the EU: around 49% of all imports originated from and 53% of all exports were destined for the EU market. Ranked in importance as trading partners (by the total of exports and imports), Germany, Italy and Greece took places two, three and four. Russia was still Bulgaria’s largest trading partner, mainly due to imports of oil. Bulgaria accounted for about 0.4% of total extra-EU trade.

In 1999, just over two thirds of Slovenia’s trade was carried out with the EU: around 69% of all imports originated from and 66% of all exports were destined for the EU market. When ranked in importance as trading partners (by the total of exports and imports), Germany, Italy, France and Austria took the top four places. Croatia was Slovenia's fifth largest trading partner. Slovenia accounted for just under 1% of total extra-EU trade, similar to Romania and Slovakia.

Background notes

1. Data in the first two paragraphs and in the first and third tables are from Eurostat. Figures in the subsequent paragraphs and in the second and fourth tables are based on data supplied by Bulgaria and Slovenia. Divergences between the two datasets can be explained by the use of different methodologies and concepts. As part of the accession process their methodology will be harmonised with EU methodology.
2. This release refers to values in euro. Technically, data before 1 January 1999 are in ECU, and data after this date are in euro. However as the conversion rate is 1 ECU = 1 euro, for practical purposes the two terms can be used interchangeably.
3. Eurostat, Statistics in Focus, External Trade, No 18/2000, “Bulgaria’s patchy road through transition”.
4. Eurostat, Statistics in Focus, External Trade, No 19/2000, “Slovenia and the European Union”.
5. These are the final two reports in a series of Statistics in Focus that covered all the candidate countries. A previous series covered just the Central and Eastern European candidates.
6. Candidate Countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey.

EU trade with Bulgaria by Member States, 1999¹

Reporter

Exports to Bulgaria

Imports from Bulgaria

Balance

Value

Share

Growth 99/98

Value

Share

Growth 99/98

1999

1998

(mio euro)

(%)

(%)

(mio euro)

(%)

(%)

(mio euro)

EU15	2 703	100.0	11.0	2 249	100.0	0.5	454	198
Belgium*	97	3.6	-9.2	215	9.5	26.4	-117	-63
Denmark	38	1.4	-17.2	30	1.3	18.5	8	21
Germany	722	26.7	1.9	471	21.0	-5.9	250	207
Greece	389	14.4	-1.2	329	14.6	-6.7	60	41
Spain	96	3.6	97.7	110	4.9	-12.3	-14	-77
France	298	11.0	40.6	210	9.3	28.9	88	49
Ireland	19	0.7	134.0	3	0.1	21.1	17	6
Italy	458	16.9	15.1	531	23.6	-3.3	-74	-152
Luxembourg*	2	0.1	:	0	0.0	:	2	:
Netherlands	140	5.2	11.9	96	4.3	2.1	43	30
Austria	207	7.7	13.2	83	3.7	-8.7	124	92
Portugal	10	0.4	5.9	21	0.9	7.1	-11	-10
Finland	54	2.0	57.9	8	0.4	-17.6	46	24
Sweden	58	2.1	19.6	21	1.0	3.1	36	28
United Kingdom	115	4.3	0.8	120	5.3	5.6	-5	1

Source: Eurostat

* 1998 data for Luxembourg was included in combined Belgium and Luxembourg figures

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EU trade with Slovenia by Member States, 1999¹

Reporter

Exports to Slovenia

Imports from Slovenia

Balance

Value

Share

Growth 99/98

Value

Share

Growth 99/98

1999

1998

(mio euro)

(%)

(%)

(mio euro)

(%)

(%)

(mio euro)

EU15	6 918	100.0	2.1	5 297	100.0	1.3	1 621	1 546
Belgium*	152	2.2	-2.9	89	1.7	10.4	63	76
Denmark	53	0.8	10.4	74	1.4	10.5	-21	-19
Germany	2 072	29.9	2.9	2 287	43.2	8.8	-216	-88
Greece	20	0.3	1.7	21	0.4	-6.8	-0	-2
Spain	223	3.2	7.5	82	1.5	16.9	141	137
France	925	13.4	-14.3	488	9.2	-32.8	437	354
Ireland	34	0.5	60.0	5	0.1	95.2	29	18
Italy	1 672	24.2	-1.4	1 094	20.6	-0.1	578	601
Luxembourg*	16	0.2	:	7	0.1	:	9	:
Netherlands	265	3.8	8.0	111	2.1	3.2	153	137
Austria	1 063	15.4	12.5	787	14.9	10.5	276	233
Portugal	3	0.0	-31.3	12	0.2	-1.5	-9	-7
Finland	41	0.6	31.9	15	0.3	-10.3	25	14
Sweden	156	2.3	49.7	63	1.2	3.5	93	44
United Kingdom	224	3.2	11.3	162	3.1	6.5	62	49

Source: Eurostat

* 1998 data for Luxembourg was included in combined Belgium and Luxembourg figures
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