As of January 2025, Estonia's trade deficit stood at €331 million, up €85 million since last January, according to a press release.

According to Statistics Estonia foreign trade analyst Jane Leppmets, the upward trend in foreign trade, which began in the second half of 2024, continued this January.

"In intra-EU trade, exports were up by 11 percent and imports by 9 percent," Leppmets noted. "In extra-EU trade, the rise was 19 percent in exports and as much as 57 percent in imports. Exports to non-EU countries were mainly influenced by greater exports of goods to the United States, and imports from these countries were boosted by increased imports from Turkey."

Mineral products see biggest exports increase

The main commodities exported in January were electrical equipment (15 percent of Estonia's total exports), wood and articles of wood (12 percent), and agricultural products and food preparations (12 percent).

The biggest increase on year was recorded in the exports of mineral products (up by €42 million, or 37 percent), wood and articles of wood (up by €35 million, or 23 percent), and electrical equipment (up by €30 million, or 15 percent).

The biggest fall, meanwhile, was seen in the exports of mechanical appliances (down by €17 million, or 13 percent).

This January, exports of goods of Estonian origin were up by 13 percent on year, similarly to re-exports. The share of goods of Estonian origin in total exports remained unchanged, however, at 65 percent.

Estonia's top export partners in January were Finland (17 percent of Estonia's total exports), Sweden (9 percent), Latvia (8 percent) and Lithuania (8 percent). The main commodities exported that month were mineral products to Finland, electrical equipment to Sweden and transport equipment to Latvia and Lithuania.

The biggest increase occurred in exports of goods to the Netherlands (up by €37 million, or 97 percent), where Estonia exported more wood and articles of wood than last year. Exports decreased the most, meanwhile, to Latvia and Russia — by €10 million — with fewer dispatches of mineral products to Latvia and decreased exports of mechanical appliances to Russia.

Transport equipment most imported commodity

The main commodities imported to Estonia in January were transport equipment (14 percent of Estonia's total imports), electrical equipment (13 percent), and agricultural products and food preparations (13 percent).

On year, the biggest increase was registered in the imports of transport equipment (up by €57 million, or 30 percent), agricultural products and food preparations (up by €42 million, or 22 percent), and mechanical appliances (up by €33 million, or 26 percent). The imports of mineral products, meanwhile, decreased the most (down by €8 million, or 4 percent).

Estonia's top import partners in January were Latvia (14 percent of total imports), followed by Germany (12 percent), Lithuania (10 percent) and Finland (10 percent). The main commodities imported were mineral products from Latvia, Lithuania and Finland, and mechanical appliances from Germany.

On year, the biggest increase occurred in imports of goods from Turkey (up by €54 million, or nearly fivefold), including an increase in transport equipment imports. Decreasing the most, meanwhile, were imports of goods from Finland (down by €42 million, or 19 percent), which included fewer arrivals of mineral products.

As of this year, Statistics Estonia prepares EU imports statistics using detailed data from other EU member states and estimates of their exports to Estonia, which is validated by Statistics Estonia and combined with administrative data.

The figures published on March 12 represent the first data published based on this new methodology.

Click here for more information about January's foreign trade numbers.

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