Bulgaria's exports grew more than imports in 2013 but the foreign trade balance was negative, according to final data published by the National Statistical Institute (NSI) on Friday.
The data showed that in 2013 the value of exported goods amounted to 43.6 billion Bulgarian lev (28.8 billion U.S. dollars) and compared to 2012 the exports increased by 7.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the imported goods in 2013 were for 50.5 billion Bulgarian lev (some 33.4 billion dollars) or 1.4 percent more than in the previous year, NSI said.
However, the negative foreign trade balance was 2.2 billion Bulgarian lev (some 1.5 billion dollars) less than the balance in 2012, NSI added.
According to the data, the exports of Bulgaria in 2013 showed the largest growth in the section of animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes, by 30.2 percent, while fall was reported only in the section of mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials -- by 2.9 percent.
In imports, the largest growths were recorded in the sections of beverages and tobacco as well as miscellaneous manufactured articles, by 10.8 percent and 9.9 percent respectively, while the most notable fall was reported in the section animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes -- by 13.4 percent.
In 2013, the exports of Bulgaria to European Union (EU) countries increased by 9.1 percent compared to the previous year with main trade partners Germany, Italy, Romania, Greece, France, Belgium and Spain, while country's imports from EU countries increased by 3.1 percent with largest amounts of goods imported from Germany, Italy, Romania, Greece and Spain, NSI said.
Bulgarian exports to third countries also increased in 2013, by 4.5 percent, with Turkey, China, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Gibraltar, Serbia and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as main trade partners, but the imports decreased by 0.9 percent compared to 2012, NSI said.