International trade in goods (change of ownership) - December 2024
Trade surplus for 2024 increased year-on-year
Publication Date: 06. 02. 2025
Product Code: 241018-24
“For 2024, the trade balance showed a surplus of CZK 223.2 bn which was by CZK 100.7 higher y-o-y. Since the beginning of 2024, exports and imports rose by 4.9% and 2.7%, respectively,” says Miluše Kavěnová, Director of the International Trade Statistics.
In December 2024, the total balance of international trade1) in goods2) was favourably influenced in particular by y−o−y lower trade deficit in 'crude petroleum and natural gas' by CZK 4.3 bn. The trade surplus increased in 'machinery and equipment' and 'electricity' by CZK 4.0 bn and by CZK 3.0 bn, respectively.
In December 2024, the total trade balance was affected negatively mainly due to trade in 'fabricated metal products' which y−o−y deteriorated by CZK 7.9 bn as a surplus turned into a deficit. The trade deficit deepened in 'computers and electronic and optical equipment' and 'basic metals' by CZK 2.4 bn and CZK 1.4 bn, respectively.
In December 2024, the positive trade balance with EU Member States fell by CZK 4.0 bn, y−o−y. The trade deficit with non-EU countries decreased by CZK 6.1 bn.
Y-o-y exports increased by 9.1% to CZK 339.7 bn and y-o-y imports rose by 8.5% to CZK 332.9 bn. December 2024 had the same number of working days as December 2023.
“In December, exports of goods increased by CZK 28.3 bn y-o-y. The largest contributors to this result were exports of computers and electronic and optical equipment, which increased by CZK 7.4 bn y-o-y. The same group of products had the biggest impact also on the y-o-y increase in imports,” says Jana Mazánková, Head of the Trade Balance Unit of the Czech Statistical Office.
Month-on-month, the seasonally adjusted exports and imports increased by 3.3%.
1) The international trade balance is the difference between exports from the Czech Republic and imports to the Czech Republic.
2) The international trade in goods (change of ownership) reflects export and import performance of the Czech economy, i.e. the international trade balance of the Czech Republic as well. It measures real trade in goods carried out between Czech entities and foreign ones, i.e. the change of ownership between residents and non-residents.
Notes
From 2020 onwards, data for International trade in goods (change of ownership) are subject to recalculation using an updated method, based on a higher level of detail. See Update of the compilation method – International trade in goods (change of ownership).
Since March 2022, in accordance with the methodology of Eurostat, selected data for exports and imports of military equipment and weapons are for safety reasons included in other goods codes and another territorial structure so that the macroeconomic aggregate of international trade in goods is not influenced.
Data for companies, which are subject to the reporting duty and which failed to report data (non-response), has been imputed according to exports and imports these companies reported in the previous period. Data for companies exempted from the reporting duty were estimated on the basis of the data given in the VAT return forms. The data, which were not available from the VAT return forms, are estimated on the basis of the values for previous periods.
Data for respective months of 2024 is preliminary; data up to and including year 2023 is final. When data for the reference month is published, six previous months are updated. All months with preliminary data are updated when data for January, March and July is published. Final data is published always in September of the following year.
Responsible head at the CZSO: Miluše Kavěnová, Director of International Trade Statistics Department, phone number (+420) 274 054 176, e-mail: miluse.kavenova@csu.gov.cz
Contact person: Jana Mazánková, Head of Trade Balance Unit, phone number (+420) 274 054 144, e-mail: jana.mazankova@csu.gov.cz
Method of data collection: Intrastat forms and single administrative documents and value added tax return forms
End of data collection: 20th working day after the end of the reference month
Following data sets: https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/vzonu_ts
241014-24 External Trade of the Czech Republic by CZ-CPA (quarterly)
https://www.csu.gov.cz/current-product/41321
Next News Release will be published on: March 10, 2025
This press release was not edited for language.