Bulgaria Trade Deficit Widens in January

Bulgaria’s trade deficit widened to EUR 1,426.2 million in March 2026 from EUR 998.7 million in the same month of the previous year. It marked the largest trade shortfall since December 2025, as exports climbed 12% year-on-year to a twenty-month high of EUR 4.095 million, mainly due to higher sales to both EU (15.3%) and non-EU (6%) countries. Meanwhile, imports soared 18.6% to an all-time high of EUR 5.521 million, primarily attributed to increased purchases from EU (19.5%) and non-EU (17.5%) countries. During the first quarter of 2026, the country posted a total trade deficit of EUR 3.283 million, compared to EUR 2.475 million from the corresponding period of the previous year, with exports rising 3.7% while imports climbing 9.2%.

Bulgaria’s trade deficit widened to EUR 810.7 million in February 2026 from EUR 484.1 million in the corresponding month of the previous year, as imports rose much faster than exports. Imports increased 8.2% year-on-year to EUR 4,357.8 million, driven by higher imports from both EU (3.3%) and non-EU countries (15.8%). Meanwhile, exports inched up 0.1% to EUR 3,547.1 million, reflecting a 4.9% rise in shipments to the EU, which was offset by an 8.0% decline in exports to non-EU countries. For the January-February period, the trade deficit expanded to EUR 1,856.7 million from EUR 1,476.4 million in the same period last year, as exports fell (-0.6%) while imports went up (4.0%).

Bulgaria’s trade deficit widened to EUR 1,046.0 million in January 2026 from EUR 992.3 million in the same month last year, as exports fell while imports remained largely unchanged. Exports declined 1.4% year-on-year to EUR 3,327.0 million due to lower sales to non-EU countries (-9.0%), although shipments to the EU increased (2.3%). Meanwhile, imports edged up 0.1% to EUR 4,373.0 million, as increased purchases from non-EU countries (5.3%) offset a drop in imports from the EU (-4.0%).