Croatia Trade Deficit Largest Since 2024
2026-05-08 09:15
By
Joana Ferreira
1 min. read
Croatia’s trade deficit widened to €2.01 billion in March 2026, up from €1.77 billion in March 2025, according to preliminary data, the largest gap since May 2024.
Imports surged 14.8% to €4.52 billion, the highest level since late 1999, while exports jumped 15.8% to a record €2.51 billion.
In the first quarter of 2026, the trade deficit narrowed to €4.62 billion from €4.86 billion in the same period of 2025.
Exports rose 3.0% to €6.36 billion, supported by a 4.9% increase in sales to the EU, though exports to non-EU countries declined by 0.7%.
Imports, meanwhile, fell 0.5% to €10.98 billion, driven by a 2.7% drop in purchases from non-EU countries and nearly flat demand from the EU.