External Trade - September 2013

In September 2013, according to preliminary data of ‘cross−border statistics’, exports and imports at current prices increased by 8.3% and 7.2% respectively, year-on-year (y−o−y). The trade balance ended in a surplus of CZK 35.1 bn, which was by CZK 5.1 bn higher compared to September 2012.

According to preliminary data of ‘cross−border statistics’, seasonally adjusted exports and imports fell by 0.5% and 1.7% respectively compared to August 2013. The development trend shows increasing exports (+0.6%) and imports (+0.5%).

Year−on−year, exports and imports at current prices went up by 8.3% (CZK +21.5 bn) and 7.2% (CZK +16.3 bn). Exports of entities seated in the Czech Republic were higher by 9.8% (CZK +19.0 bn) and exports entities seated outside the Czech Republic rose by 3.9% (CZK +2.5 bn). Imports of entities seated in the Czech Republic increased by 9.7% (CZK +18.1 bn) while imports of entities seated outside the Czech Republic dropped by 4.3% (CZK −1.8 bn).

Due to depreciation of the koruna against euro and US dollar, exports and imports in terms of euro grew by 3.9% and 2.8% respectively. In terms of US dollars exports and imports increased by 7.9% and 6.8% respectively, y-o-y.

In September, the trade balance ended in a surplus of CZK 35.1 bn which was by CZK 5.1 bn higher y−o−y. The balance of trade of entities seated in the Czech Republic showed a surplus of CZK 8.6 bn (against a surplus of CZK 7.7 bn in September 2012), the trade balance of entities not seated in the Czech Republic recorded a surplus of CZK 26.5 bn (compared to a surplus of CZK 22.3 bn in September 2012).

Y−o−y, surplus grew in ‘machinery and transport equipment’ (by CZK 8.2 bn), ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles’ (by CZK 1.4 bn) and ‘manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (by CZK 1.1 bn). Deficit shrank in ‘food and live animals’ (CZK 0.3 bn). On the other hand, the trade developed unfavourably in ‘mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ and chemicals and related products’ (deficit up by CZK 4.3 bn and CZK 1.2 bn respectively) and ‘crude materials, inedible, except fuels’ (surplus down by CZK 0.3 bn). Surplus in trade in ‘beverages and tobacco’ (CZK +0.3 bn) remained unchanged y−o−y.

Total 'machinery and transport equipment' exports grew by 9.2% (CZK +12.7 bn), y−o−y. Exports grew mainly in ‘road vehicles’ (CZK +8.1 bn), ‘electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances’ (CZK +3.0 bn) and ‘general industrial machinery and equipment’ (CZK +2.2 bn). Exports of ‘telecommunications and sound-recording equipment’ dropped (CZK −2.7). Total 'machinery and transport equipment' imports were by 4.8% (CZK +4.5 bn) higher, y−o−y. Imports rose mainly in ‘road vehicles’ (CZK +2.9 bn) and ‘electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances’ (CZK +2.4 bn) while imports of ‘office machines, automatic data−processing machines’ were lower (CZK −2.7 bn). Imports of ‘mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ grew by 7.1% (CZK +1.8 bn), y−o−y. Imports of crude petroleum dropped by 3.8% in value but rose by 0.5% in volume. Imports of natural gas were higher by 20.4% in value and by 46.6% in volume.

The trade balance with EU28 Member States ended in a surplus of CZK 68.3 bn, which was by CZK 4.5 bn higher, y−o−y. Deficit of trade with non-EU countries decreased by CZK 1.8 bn to CZK 31.4 bn. Deficit shrank in trade with China (by CZK 4.0 bn) and Japan (by CZK 1.2 bn); and surplus rose in trade with the United Kingdom (by CZK 1.5 bn), Hungary (by CZK 1.1 bn), France (by CZK 1.0 bn), Slovakia (by CZK 0.8 bn) and Germany (by CZK 0.5 bn). Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation recorded increases in deficits (by CZK 1.4 bn and CZK 0.5 bn respectively). Balance deteriorated in trade with the Netherlands (by CZK 1.0 bn) as a surplus turned into a deficit.

In January−September 2013, exports grew by CZK 0.4 bn and imports fell by 1.3%. The trade balance surplus reached CZK 270.8 billion which was by CZK 37.0 billion higher, y-o-y. Surplus increased mainly in ‘machinery and transport equipment’ (by CZK 27.5 bn) and ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles’ (by CZK 13.1 bn). Larger deficit in ‘mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials’ (by CZK 8.2 bn) affected the total balance negatively.

The trade balance in national concept (methodology of balance of payments) reflecting performance of the Czech economy showed a surplus of CZK 13.1 bn in September 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 97.8% 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.
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 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: 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: December 10, 2013

This press release was not edited for language.