Exports advanced 1.1 percent from a month earlier to EUR 42.2 billion in July 2019. Main increases were seen in sales of other industrial products (1.1 percent), of which pharmaceutical products (8 percent), metallurgical & metal products (0.2 percent) and textiles, clothing, leather & shoes (0.6 percent); transport equipment (1.7 percent), namely aerospace products (3.3 percent); agribusiness products (0.7 percent), primarily fish (35.1 percent) and dairy products (13.8 percent); agricultural, forestry, fishery and aquaculture products (9.8 percent); coke and refined petroleum products (22.4 percent) and natural hydrocarbons, mining products, electricity (1.7 percent). In contrast, shipments declined for mechanical, electrical, electronic and computer equipment (-1.6 percent).
Among major trading partners, exports rose to the EU (3.0 percent), America (3.7 percent) and Africa (5.0 percent), but decreased to Asia (-5.0 percent) and the Middle East (-26.7 percent).
Imports decreased 0.4 percent month-over-month to EUR 46.9 billion, amid lower purchases of other industrial products (-0.5 percent), mostly chemicals, perfumes, cosmetics (-4.4 percent) and textiles, clothing, leather & shoes (-1.4 percent); mechanical, electrical, electronic and computer equipment (-1.7 percent); coke and refined petroleum products (-4.9 percent) and publishing and communication (-1.4 percent). On the other hand, acquisitions went up for transport equipment (0.5 percent), as higher imports of automotive equipment (2.3 percent) and boats & ships (274.4 percent) outweighed declines seen in vehicles (-5 percent) and aerospace products (-0.7 percent). Also, imports advanced for natural hydrocarbons, mining products, electricity (1.7 percent); agribusiness products (2.0 percent) and agricultural, forestry, fishery and aquaculture products (2.8 percent).
Among major trading partners, imports were down from the EU (-0.3 percent), Asia (-2.3 percent), America (-2.7 percent), Africa (-1.7 percent), while grew from the Middle East (19.3 percent).