Trade Reaches Record Heights in 2011
Published: 09.02.2012 16:34
Muuga Harbor, Estonia's largest freight port
( Photo: Postimees/Scanpix )
Annual trade figures freshly tallied up by Statistics Estonia show that exports and imports swelled to 12 billion euros and and 12.6 billion euros, respectively, last year, breaking all previous records.
Compared to 2010, last year's export volumes rose by 38 percent, and import volumes by 37 percent. The biggest driver of growth in directions was a boom in machinery and equipment trade, which saw a 67 percent export growth and 58 percent import growth.
On the export side, the category accounted for 27 percent of the total, followed by mineral products and electricity at 17 percent and metal products at 9 percent.
Likewise, machinery and equipment also made up 27 percent of the nation's imports, with minerals in second position at 18 percent and agricultural products and food at 10 percent.
Main trade partners were Sweden, accounting for 16 percent of Estonia's exports and 11 percent of imports, and Finland (15 and 13 percent).
Steve Roman