External Trade - December 2013

In December 2013, according to preliminary data of ‘border statistics’, exports and imports at current prices rose by 18.3% and 16.8% respectively, year−on−year (y−o−y). The trade balance ended in a surplus of CZK 9.6 bn, which was by CZK 4.2 bn higher compared to December 2012.
In the year 2013, exports and imports were up by 2.8% and 1.4% respectively. The annual trade balance reached a surplus of CZK 350.8 bn, which was by CZK 45.1 bn more than in 2012 .

According to preliminary data of ‘cross−border statistics’, seasonally adjusted exports and imports rose by 4.2% and 6.0% respectively compared to November 2013. The development trend shows growing exports (+3.2%) and imports (+2.5%).

Year−on−year, exports and imports at current prices went up by 18.3% (CZK +38.7 bn) and 16.8% (CZK +34.6 bn) respectively. The results were influenced by the low comparative basis of December 2012 (the lowest monthly turnover of the year 2012). Exports of entities seated in the Czech Republic were higher by 16.5% (CZK +25.7 bn) and exports entities seated outside the Czech Republic were by 23.4% (CZK +13.0 bn) higher, y−o−y. Imports of entities seated in the Czech Republic increased by 17.3% (CZK +28.3 bn) and imports of entities seated outside the Czech Republic grew by 14.9% (CZK +6.3 bn).

Due to depreciation of the koruna against the both main currencies, exports and imports in terms of euro grew by 8.4% and 7.0% respectively. In terms of US dollars exports and imports increased by 13.3% and 11.9% respectively, y−o−y.

In December, the trade balance ended in a surplus of CZK 9.6 bn which was by CZK 4.2 bn higher compared to December 2012. The balance of trade of entities seated in the Czech Republic showed a deficit of CZK 11.0 bn (against a deficit of CZK 8.4 bn in December 2012), the trade balance of entities not seated in the Czech Republic recorded a surplus of CZK 20.6 bn (compared to a surplus of CZK 13.8 bn in December 2012).

Y−o−y, surplus rose in ‘machinery and transport equipment’ (by CZK 7.4 bn), ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles’ (by CZK 0.7 bn) and ‘crude materials, inedible, except fuels’ (by CZK 0.2 bn); and deficit in ‘food and live animals’ shrank (by CZK 0.1 bn). On the other hand, deficit deepened in ‘mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ (by CZK 3.5 bn), ‘beverages and tobacco’ (by CZK 0.5 bn) and ‘chemicals and related products’ (by CZK 0.2 bn). ‘Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ recorded a decrease in surplus (by CZK 0.2 bn).

Exports and imports of 'machinery and transport equipment' grew by 21.9% (CZK +25.3 bn) and 19.9% (CZK +17.9 bn) respectively, y−o−y. Increases were posted mainly in exports and imports of ‘road vehicles (by CZK +10.5 bn and CZK +5.5 bn respectively), ‘electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances’ (by CZK +4.2 bn and CZK +1.9 bn respectively) and ‘telecommunications and sound-recording equipment’ (by CZK +3.7 bn and CZK +3.4 bn respectively). Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ imports rose by 15.1% (CZK +3.8 bn) y−o−y. Higher imports were recorded mainly in crude petroleum (by +4.7% in value and +1.3% in volume) and natural gas (by +34.0% in value and +45.2% in volume).

The trade balance with EU28 Member States ended in a surplus of CZK 52.5 bn, which was by CZK 10.5 bn higher, y−o−y. Deficit of trade with non-EU countries increased by CZK 6.2 bn to amount to CZK 41.9 bn. Surplus rose in trade with Slovakia (by CZK 3.3 bn), Germany (by CZK 3.0 bn) and Denmark (by CZK 1.7 bn). Balance improved in trade with the Netherlands (by CZK 1.6 bn) as a deficit turned into a surplus. On the other hand, deficit rose in trade with the Russia Federation (by CZK 3.1 bn), China (by CZK 1.8 bn) and Poland (by CZK 1.1 bn).

In the year 2013, compared with 2012, exports and imports rose by 2.8% and 1.4%, respectively. The external trade turnover grew by CZK 124.0 bn to CZK 5 963.5 bn, y−o−y. The trade balance showed a surplus of CZK 350.8 bn, which was by CZK 45.1 bn higher, y−o−y. The balance improved mainly in 'machinery and transport equipment' (surplus up by CZK 36.4 bn) and ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles’ (surplus up by CZK 15.1 bn). On the contrary, deficit deepened in ‘mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ (by CZK 10.9 bn). The external trade with EU Member States ended in a surplus of CZK 730.8 bn, which was by CZK 14.7 bn higher, y−o−y. The trade gap with non-EU countries was by CZK 32.5 bn lower to reach CZK 368.2 bn.

The trade balance in national concept (methodology of balance of payments) reflecting performance of the Czech economy showed a deficit of CZK 9.3 bn in December 2013 and a surplus of CZK 119.3 bn in the year 2013. 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).

Since January 2011, the Czech Statistical Office (the CZSO) has published External Trade News Releases in two concepts when standard information on development in cross-border statistics was complemented by the data on the trade balance in the national concept (according to the principle of change of ownership). A growing difference between data on cross-border movement of goods and other macroeconomics indicators of the Czech economy published in national statistics accounts and the balance of payment was the reason to distinguish these two methodologies.

From the January 2014 data published on the 10th March 2014, the CZSO is going to change the form of External Trade News Release to emphasize data in the national concept while maintaining information about the development of cross-border statistics.

Along with this, tables in the annex will be moved into the time series on the CZSO websites and a bridge between the both concepts will be added. The new appearance of the News Release is based on the discussion with internal and external users and on the recommendation of the external trade statistics methodology audit carried out in 2013.


Notes:
According to the CZSO sources data were obtained from 98.3% of companies (for goods dispatched) and 98.3% 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.
The data for individual months of 2012 are final; the data for individual months of 2013 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 .
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 (cross−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, whether an entity is or is not seated in the Czech Republic (resident or non-resident). Detailed information is available in external trade methodolog y: /whatisexternal_trade
Responsible manager of the CZSO: Ing. Marek Rojíček, Ph.D., Director of Macroeconomic Statistics Branch, phone (+420) 274 052 486, E-mail: marek.rojicek@csu.gov.cz
Contact: Karel Král, Director of External Trade Statistics Department, phone (+420) 274 052 161, E-mail: karel.kral@csu.gov.cz
Method of data collection: Intrastat forms and Single administrative documents.
End of data collection: 20th working day after the end of the reference month
Documents available on the CZSO website: w-6001-13 External Trade of the Czech Republic –detailed breakdown (periodicity: monthly): /produkty/external-trade-of-the-czech-republic-december-2013-gaipctvf7d
External Trade Database: http://apl.czso.cz/pll/stazo/STAZO.STAZO?jazyk=EN
Next News Release: March 10, 2014

This press release was not edited for language.