External Trade - July 2013

In July 2013, according to preliminary data of ‘cross−border statistics’, exports and imports at current prices increased by 3.2% and 1.3%, year-on-year (y−o−y), respectively. The trade balance ended in a surplus of CZK 28.2 bn, which was by CZK 4.9 bn higher compared to July 2012.

According to preliminary data of ‘cross−border statistics’, seasonally adjusted exports rose by 0.5%, while imports fell by 2.0% compared to June 2013. The development trend shows increasing exports (+0.3%) and decreasing imports (−0.5%).

Year−on−year, exports and imports at current prices went up by 3.2% (CZK +7.8 bn) and 1.3% (CZK +2.8 bn) respectively. Exports of entities seated in the Czech Republic were higher by 2.8% (CZK +5.2 bn) and exports entities seated outside the Czech Republic rose by 4.4% (CZK +2.6 bn). Imports of entities seated in the Czech Republic increased by 0.4% (CZK +0.7 bn) while imports of entities seated outside the Czech Republic were by 6.2% (CZK +2.1 bn) higher. July 2013 had two working days more than July 2012.

In terms of euro, exports were by 1.1% higher while imports fell by 0.7%, y−o−y. In US dollars exports and imports rose by 7.8% and 5.8% respectively.

In July, the trade balance ended in a surplus of CZK 28.2 bn which was by CZK 4.9 bn higher y−o−y. The balance of trade of entities seated in the Czech Republic showed a surplus of CZK 3.2 bn (against a deficit of CZK 1.3 bn in July 2012), the trade balance of entities not seated in the Czech Republic recorded a surplus of CZK 25.1 bn (compared to a surplus of CZK 24.6 bn in July 2012).

Y−o−y, surplus grew in miscellaneous manufactured articles’ (by CZK 2.5 bn), ‘machinery and transport equipment’ (by CZK 2.2 bn), ‘manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (by CZK 1.9 bn) and ‘beverages and tobacco’ (by CZK 0.2 bn). On the other hand, deficit deepened in ‘chemicals and related products’ (by CZK 0.7 bn), ‘food and live animals’ (by CZK 0.2 bn) and ‘mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ (by CZK 0.1 bn). The trade balance deteriorated in ‘crude materials, inedible, except fuels’ (by CZK 0.8 bn) as a surplus turned into a deficit.

Total 'machinery and transport equipment' exports grew by 1.7% (CZK +2.2 bn). Exports dropped mainly in ‘general industrial machinery and equipment’ (CZK +2.7 bn) and electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances’ (CZK +2.0 bn). On the contrary, exports fell in ‘telecommunications and sound-recording equipment’ (CZK −1.5 bn) and ‘office machines, automatic data−processing machines’ (CZK −1.3 bn CZK). Total 'machinery and transport equipment' imports remained unchanged in July y−o−y at CZK +88.4 bn. Increases in imports were recorded mainly in ‘electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances’ and ‘general industrial machinery and equipment’ (both CZK +0.7 bn). Imports fell above all in ‘office machines, automatic data−processing machines’ (CZK −0.9 bn). Imports of ‘mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ decreased by 7.4% (CZK −1.8 bn), y−o−y. Imports of crude petroleum dropped by 36.0% in value and by 32.1% in volume. Imports of natural gas were higher by 18.1% in value and by 22.9% in volume.

The trade balance with EU28 Member States ended in a surplus of CZK 53.4 bn, which was by CZK 2.1 bn higher, y−o−y. Deficit of trade with non-EU countries decreased by CZK 2.4 bn to CZK 24.8 bn. Deficit shrank in trade with Azerbaijan (by CZK 2.6 bn); and surplus rose in trade with Spain (by CZK 1.4 bn), the United Kingdom (by CZK 1.1 bn) and Turkey (by CZK 1.0 bn). On the other hand, deficit deepened in trade with Poland (by CZK 1.6 bn), the Russian Federation (by CZK 0.8 bn) and China (by CZK 0.5 bn). Surplus fell in trade with Germany (by CZK 0.5 bn) and Slovakia (by CZK 0.4 bn).

In January−July 2013, exports and imports fell by 1.1% and 3.1% respectively. The trade balance surplus amounting to CZK 218.2 billion was up by CZK 30.7 billion y-o-y. The trade balance improved due to increases in surplus in ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles’ (CZK +12.4 bn), ‘machinery and transport equipment’ (CZK +10.9 bn) and ‘manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (CZK +8.2 bn).

The CZSO has carried out the regular annual update. The final 2012 data says, that y-o-y exports and imports grew by 6.7% to CZK 3 072.6 bn and 3.0% to CZK 2 766.9 bn respectively. The trade balance for the year 2012 reached a surplus of CZK 305.7 bn against CZK 191.1 bn in 2011.

The trade balance in national concept (methodology of balance of payments) reflecting performance of the Czech economy showed a surplus of CZK 7.1 bn in July 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).


Notes:
According to the CZSO sources data were obtained from 98.0% of companies (for goods dispatched) and 98.2% 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 2011 and 2012 are final; the data for individual months of 2013 are preliminary. 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 methodology: /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: 20 ^th 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: October 7, 2013

This press release was not edited for language.