Bulgaria ran a deficit of BGN 329.6 M (exports FOB – imports CIF) in trade with third countries in the first four months of 2016, the national statistical office NSI announced on Thursday.

This compared with deficit of BGN 782.8 in trade with non-EU countries for January-April 2015. Data for 2016 are preliminary.

In April 2016 alone Bulgaria had a deficit of BGN 224.7 M in in trade with third countries.

Bulgarian exports to third countries shrank by 13.8% on the year in January-April 2016, reaching BGN 4.63 B. In April, exports dropped by 26.8% compared to the corresponding month of 2015 and totaled BGN 1.09 B

Turkey, China, Macedonia, Serbia, the United States and Russia were Bulgaria’s main trading partners in terms of the country’s exports in the first four months of 2016, the NSI said. Those countries absorbed 50.1% of Bulgarian exports to non-EU countries.

Bulgarian imports from third countries in the period January - April 2016 decreased by 19.4% on the year, reaching BGN 4.96 B at CIF prices. In April alone, imports from third countries totalled BGN 1.32 B, down 20.2% year-on-year.

Most of Bulgaria’s imports came from Russia, Turkey, China and Ukraine in January-April 2016.