Balance of trade posts €60m deficit in February

The balance of international trade showed a deficit of 60 million euros in February, according to the preliminary statistics of international trade in goods provided by Finnish Customs.

Calculated from January to February there was a surplus of 450 million euros. Under the same period last year, the balance of trade showed a deficit of 595 million euros. Last year the trade balance for February showed a deficit of 370 million euros.

According to the preliminary statistics, the value of Finnish exports increased by seven per cent year-on-year, while the value of imports remained at the level of the previous year.

The value of Finnish exports in February was slightly over 5.1 billion euros and the value of imports was slightly under 5.2 billion euros.

Calculated from the beginning of the year, exports increased by nine per cent, but imports decreased by one per cent year-on-year.

Exports to EU member states increased by seven per cent in February and exports to non-EU countries by six per cent.

Imports from EU-countries increased by three per cent, while imports from non-EU countries fell by four per cent in February. Calculated from the beginning of the year, exports to EU increased by 12 per cent and to non-EU countries by four per cent.

During the same period, imports from EU member states rose by two per cent, but decreased from other countries by six per cent.