Bosnia's foreign trade deficit widens despite strong export performance

Official figures released by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Agency for Statistics reveal that the overall export-to-import coverage ratio reached 55.5 percent, leaving the national foreign trade deficit above 10.7 billion marks (approx. €5.47 billion).

The European Union remains the primary commercial market for domestic exporters. Between January and September, outbound shipments to EU member states totaled 10.23 billion marks (approx. €5.23 billion), an increase of 10.2 percent year-on-year. In contrast, imports originating from the bloc expanded by 9.6 percent to stand at 14.15 billion, marks (approx. €7.23 billion), generating an export-to-import coverage ratio of 72.3 percent in EU trade relations.

Commercial activity with Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) partners delivered mixed outcomes, as exports dropped by 5.1 percent to 2.08 billion, marks (approx. €1.06 billion) over the nine-month interval. Meanwhile, imports from CEFTA nations moved up by 1.4 percent to reach 2.81 billion marks (approx. €1.44 billion). Despite the contraction in outbound volume, the export-to-import coverage ratio for CEFTA trade sustained a solid level of 73.8 percent.