Slovakia Trade Gap Narrows in January

2026-03-11 09:10 By Erika Ordonez 1 min. read

Slovakia's trade deficit narrowed sharply to EUR 33.1 million in January 2026 from EUR 152.5 million in the same month last year, missing market expectations of a EUR 133.7 million surplus, as exports fell at a softer pace than imports.

Exports declined by 2.8% year-on-year to EUR 8,355.7 million, marking the first drop in four months, mainly driven by a 2.7% decrease in shipments of machinery and transport equipment, including cars.

Sales to the EU rose by 1.4%, while those to non-EU countries tumbled by 18.3%.

Meanwhile, imports decreased by 4.1% to EUR 8,388.8 million, the largest fall since June 2024, with nine out of ten product categories recording declines.

The drop was largely due to a 4.6% fall in purchases of machinery and transport equipment, including motor vehicle parts.

Inbound shipments from the EU increased by 10.7%, while imports from non-EU countries fell by 25.7%.



News Stream
Slovakia Trade Balance Shifts to Deficit in July
Slovakia posted a trade deficit of EUR 0.8 million in July 2026, shifting from a surplus of EUR 216.5 million in the corresponding month of the previous year and missing market expectations of a EUR 96.2 million surplus. This marked the first deficit since January, as imports outpaced exports. Year-on-year, imports climbed 9.4% to EUR 9,062.8 million, mainly due to higher purchases of machinery and transport equipment, which increased by nearly 11%. Imports from the EU rose almost 13%, while those from non-EU countries increased by approximately 4%. Meanwhile, exports rose 6.6% to EUR 9,062.0 million, driven largely by a more than 6% increase in shipments of machinery and transport equipment. Additionally, exports to the EU grew nearly 7%, while those to non-EU countries increased almost 7%. Over the January–July 2026 period, the country’s trade surplus widened to EUR 1,655.1 million from EUR 1,458.4 million in the same period of 2025.
2026-09-08
Slovakia Trade Surplus Narrows in June
Slovakia posted a trade surplus of EUR 372.9 million in June 2026, narrowing from EUR 445.8 million in the same month last year as imports outpaced exports. Exports rose 8.2% year on year to EUR 10.1 billion, supported by a more than 6% increase in motor vehicle shipments. Exports to EU member states grew by over 11%, while shipments to non-EU countries edged down 0.2%. Meanwhile, imports increased 9.5% to EUR 9.7 billion, driven by a nearly 6% rise in machinery and transport equipment imports. Imports from EU countries climbed by more than 11%, while those from non-EU countries increased by 6%. For the first half of 2026, Slovakia's trade surplus widened to EUR 1.67 billion, up from EUR 1.32 billion in the corresponding period a year earlier.
2026-08-07
Slovakia Trade Surplus Widens in May
Slovakia posted a trade surplus of EUR 580.6 million in May 2026, widening from EUR 521.7 million in the same month last year. This also marked the largest surplus since June 2023, as exports rose faster than imports. Exports climbed 2.3% year-on-year to EUR 9.6 billion, driven largely by a more than 68% jump in shipments of mineral fuels, lubricants, and related materials. Additionally, exports to the EU grew by more than 4%, while exports to non-EU countries declined by more than 4%. Meanwhile, imports increased 1.7% to EUR 9.1 billion, as inbound shipments of chemicals and related products surged by more than 17%. Imports from EU countries increased by more than 5%, while those from non-EU countries declined by 5%. In the January–May 2026 period, the country's trade surplus widened to EUR 1,293.2 million from EUR 875.9 million in the corresponding period a year earlier.
2026-07-08