In August, Latvia exported goods in the amount of EUR 1.08 billion but imported considerably more - EUR 1.47 billion. Consequently compared to August 2017, foreign trade balance worsened as exports in total foreign trade amount decreased from 43.6 % to 42.3 %.
Over the first eight months of this year, the foreign trade turnover of Latvia at current prices reached EUR 18.05 billion – EUR 1.61 billion or 9.8 % more than in the corresponding period of 2017.
The exports value constituted EUR 8.0 billion (an increase of EUR 687.6 million or 9.4 %), whereas the imports value – EUR 10.05 billion (an upturn of EUR 924.4 million or 10.1 %).
Calendar and seasonally adjusted data at current prices show that, compared to August 2017, in August 2018 the exports value at current prices went up by 8.0 % and the imports value by 14.4 %, whereas, compared to the previous month, the exports value increased by 2.9 % and the imports value by 1.8 %
In August, the main export partners of Latvia in trade with EU countries were Lithuania (15.3 % of total exports), Estonia (11.9 %), Sweden (8.0 %) and Germany (7.2 %), whereas the main import partners were Lithuania (18.9 % of total imports), Germany (8.6 %), Poland (8.5 %) and Estonia (6.9 %).
Russia was the main partner in trade with third countries; its share in total Latvian exports in August accounted for 9.4 %, whereas in imports – for 12.3 %.