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BNS - Estonia's trade deficit last year was 37.8 billion kroons (EUR 591.6 mln), down by 15.5 billion kroons or 29 percent from 2007, the national statistics office reports.
The value of Estonian exports was 132.3 billion kroons while imports totaled 170.1 billion kroons. In annual comparison exports increased by 6.5 billion kroons and imports decreased by 8.7 billion kroons.
All in all, exports at current prices grew by 5 percent whereas imports declined by 5 percent.
In December 2008 Estonia exported 8.7 billion kroons' worth of goods, a drop of 6 percent compared to the same month of 2007. Imports totaling 11.5 billion kroons represent a year-on-year decrease of 17 percent.
European Union countries accounted for 70 percent and CIS countries, for 13 percent of all exports in 2008. Compared to the previous year, exports to the EU grew by 5 percent and exports to the CIS by nearly a quarter, the statistics office observed.
The main countries of destination were Finland (18 percent of the total), Sweden (14 percent) and Russia (11 percent).
Imports from EU countries made up 80 percent of Estonia's total imports and the share of CIS countries was 12 percent. Compared to the previous year, imports from the EU decreased by 3 percent and from the CIS by 11 percent.
The main countries of origin were Finland, Germany and Sweden. During the year imports from Russia, Finland and Sweden decreased significantly -- by 5.1 billion, 3.6 billion and 2 billion kroons, respectively. At the same time imports from Lithuania, Belarus and Latvia increased.
(EUR 1 = EEK 15.65)
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