External Trade - November 2006

In November 2006, according to preliminary data, exports and imports at current prices grew by 16.1% and 14.2% year-on-year, respectively. The trade balance reached a surplus of CZK 6.4 billion, which was by CZK 3.9 billion more year-on-year. A rise in surplus of trade in machinery and transport equipment of CZK 3.2 billion and a decrease in deficit of trade in mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials of CZK 2.4 billion were actually the only positive effects on the trade balance.
According to preliminary data, seasonally adjusted exports increased by 5.2% and imports by 1.5% month-on-month. The trend component rose by 2.4% in exports and by 1.0% in imports.

Year-on-year, exports and imports at current prices were up by 16.1% and 14.2%, respectively. Values of exports and imports reached the highest levels ever recorded in the Czech Republic history. Due to the appreciation of the Czech koruna against the euro and especially against the US dollar, external trade grew faster in terms of both euros (exports +21.2%, imports +19.2%) and US dollars (exports +32.5%, imports +30.2%) than external trade in Czech korunas.
The trade balance reached a surplus of CZK 6.4 billion, which was by CZK 3.9 billion more year-on-year. The trade balance with EU states was active by CZK 36.1 billion and with non-EU states passive by CZK 29.7 billion. Increase in trade surplus in ‘machinery and transport equipment’ by CZK 3.2 billion and decrease in trade deficit in ’mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ by CZK 2.4 billion (for the second successive month) were actually the only factors that raised the trade surplus. Conversely, the balance was negatively affected by the results of trade in ‘chemicals and related products’ (deficit up by CZK 0.8 billion) and ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles‘ (surplus down by CZK 0.7 billion).
In ‘machinery and transport equipment’, total exports grew by 19.0% (CZK +18.5 billion) and total imports by 20.0% (CZK +15.3 billion). The highest increases in exports and imports were recorded for ‘office machines and automatic data-processing machines’, ‘road vehicles’ and ‘telecommunications and sound-recording equipment’.
Lower imports of mineral fuels by 11.7% (CZK 2.0 billion) were mainly due to decreases in imports of petroleum (-18.6% in terms of value and -13.1% in terms of volume) and natural gas (-1.0% in terms of value and -12.8 in terms of volume).
By group of countries, trade surplus with EU states rose by CZK 6.3 billion and trade deficit with non-EU states increased by CZK 2.4 billion. Increases were recorded for trade surplus with Slovakia (by CZK 2.6 billion), Germany (by CZK 2.4 billion), France (by CZK 1.2 billion), Sweden and Spain (both by CZK 0.8 billion), and decreases were observed in trade deficit with Russia (by CZK 2.8 billion) and Norway (by CZK 0.7 billion). Conversely, trade deficit with China, Taiwan and the Netherlands grew (by CZK 3.3 billion, CZK 0.8 billion and CZK 0.5 billion, respectively), and trade surplus with the United States turned into a deficit (deterioration by CZK 1.4 billion).

Over last twelve months, compared to the preceding twelve months, exports and imports grew by 14.4% and 14.0%, respectively. The trade balance reached a surplus of CZK 46.5 billion, which represents an improvement of CZK 13.4 billion.
Trade in ‘machinery and transport equipment’ (surplus up by CZK 67.2 billion) and ‘crude materials, inedible, except fuels’ (deficit down by CZK 2.3 billion) had a favourable effect on the balance of trade. Conversely, the trade balance in ‘mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ (deficit up by CZK 33.7 billion), ‘manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (surplus down by CZK 12.0 billion), chemicals and related products’ (deficit up by CZK 5.7 billion), ‘food and live animals’ (deficit up CZK 4.1 billion) and ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles‘ (surplus down by CZK 0.6 billion) deteriorated.
By group of countries, trade surplus with EU states was higher by CZK 58.6 billion, while trade deficit with non-EU states increased by CZK 45.2 billion. Deficit turning into a surplus improved the trade balance with Sweden (by CZK 14.0 billion, effect of last year’s imports of Jas-Gripen fighters), Italy (by CZK 11.6 billion), Ukraine (by CZK 8.7 billion) and Switzerland (by CZK 6.4 billion). Increases were registered for trade surplus with France (by CZK 12.3 billion), Slovakia (by CZK 8.4 billion), Belgium (by CZK 8.1 billion), the United Kingdom (by CZK 5.8 billion), Spain (by CZK 5.5 billion) and Germany (by CZK 5.0 billion). Conversely, trade deficit grew with China (by CZK 30.9 billion), Russia (by CZK 14.4 billion), Taiwan (by CZK 7.2 billion), Malaysia (by CZK 3.0 billion) and Japan (by CZK 2.7 billion) grew, and trade surplus with Poland fell (by CZK 8.8 billion).

January-November 2006 exports and imports grew by 14.8% and 14.7%, respectively. The trade surplus of CZK 50.5 billion was thus by CZK 7.8 billion higher year-on-year.
According to the note of the Directorate General of Customs, data were received from 95.5% of the companies obliged to report to the Intrastat system.
Data on companies exempted from the reporting duty (those whose annual value of trade with the EU member states was below CZK 4 million for goods dispatched and below CZK 2 million for goods received) and data on companies that failed to report were imputed. The imputation methods are based on data that the companies supplied in the previous period.

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Note
Contact: Petra Křížová, phone (+420) 274 054 270, e-mail: petra.krizova@csu.gov.cz
Data source: Intrastat reports and Single Administrative Documents (SADs)
Related publication: 6001-06 External Trade of the Czech Republic in January-November 2006 ( /ep-6-opendocument )

The data for individual months of 2005 are final, referring to 28 August 2006 closing date; the data for January – September 2006 are updated referring to 29 November 2006 closing date.
The November 2006 data are preliminary; they refer to 2 January 2007 closing date and will be updated in March 2007 together with the data for individual months of 2006.