Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1451754
10 NEWS 17.2.2022 MALTA registered the highest increase, among all EU member states, in ex- tra-EU imports in December 2021 com- pared with December 2020. Malta registered an increase of 128.1%, followed by Finland (+96.4%) and Lith- uania (+90.1%). During the same month, all the Mem- ber States registered an increase in ex- tra-EU exports except Finland (-14.2%). e highest increases were registered in Cyprus (+111.8%), Slovenia (+38.9%) and Romania (+34.6%). Euro Area e first estimate for euro area exports of goods to the rest of the world in De- cember 2021 was €218.7 billion, an in- crease of 14.1% compared with Decem- ber 2020 (€191.7bn). Imports from the rest of the world stood at €223.3bn, a rise of 36.7% com- pared with December 2020 (€163.4bn), mainly driven by an increase in energy imports. As a result, the euro area recorded a €4.6bn deficit in trade in goods with the rest of the world in December 2021, compared with a surplus of €28.3bn in December 2020. Intra-euro area trade rose to €191.9bn in December 2021, up by 27.8% compared with December 2020. In January to December 2021, euro area exports of goods to the rest of the world rose to €2 434.3bn (an increase of 14.1% compared with January-De- cember 2020), and imports rose to €2 305.9bn (an increase of 21.4% compared with January-December 2020). As a re- sult the euro area recorded a surplus of €128.4bn, compared with +€233.9bn in January-December 2020. Intra-euro area trade rose to €2 180.1bn in Janu- ary-December 2021, up by 20.7% com- pared with January-December 2020. European Union e first estimate for extra-EU exports of goods in December 2021 was €198.2 billion, up by 12.5% compared with De- cember 2020 (€176.1bn). Imports from the rest of the world stood at €208.2bn, up by 41.8% compared with December 2020 (€146.8bn). As a result, the EU recorded a €10.0bn deficit in trade in goods with the rest of the world in De- cember 2021, compared with a surplus of €29.3bn in December 2020. Intra-EU trade rose to €297.3bn in December 2021, +25.3% compared with December 2020. In January to December 2021, ex- tra-EU exports of goods rose to €2 180.5bn (an increase of 12.8% compared with January-December 2020), and im- ports rose to €2 111.5bn (an increase of 23% compared with January-Decem- ber 2020). As a result, the EU record- ed a surplus of €68.9bn, compared with +€215.8bn in January-December 2020. Intra-EU trade rose to €3 424.7bn in January-December 2021, +19.9% com- pared with January-December 2020. In 2021, the highest increase for both import and export flows was recorded in the energy sector, leading to a signif- icant worsening of the EU energy defi- cit (-€276.7bn in 2021 compared with -€157.2bn in 2020). Member States' total trade (intra-EU + extra-EU) bn € Total exports Total imports Trade balance Total Intra-EU Extra-EU Total Intra-EU Extra-EU Total Intra-EU Extra-EU Jan-Dec 21 Growth / Jan-Dec 20 Jan-Dec 21 Growth / Jan-Dec 20 Jan-Dec 21 Growth / Jan-Dec 20 Jan-Dec 21 Growth / Jan-Dec 20 Jan-Dec 21 Growth / Jan-Dec 20 Jan-Dec 21 Growth / Jan-Dec 20 Jan-Dec 21 Jan-Dec 20 Jan-Dec 21 Jan-Dec 20 Jan-Dec 21 Jan-Dec 20 Belgium 459.9 24% 304.2 27% 155.6 19% 431.2 24% 264.6 24% 166.6 23% 28.7 21.7 39.7 26.0 -11.0 -4.3 Bulgaria 34.6 24% 23.2 26% 11.4 18% 39.1 28% 23.7 27% 15.4 29% -4.5 -2.7 -0.5 -0.4 -4.0 -2.3 Czechia 191.4 14% 154.0 15% 37.5 10% 178.4 19% 131.3 20% 47.1 16% 13.0 18.0 22.6 24.6 -9.6 -6.6 Denmark 105.5 11% 55.4 13% 50.1 9% 102.8 20% 69.0 17% 33.8 27% 2.7 9.3 -13.6 -9.9 16.3 19.2 Germany 1 380.0 14% 747.4 18% 632.7 10% 1 201.1 17% 765.3 18% 435.8 15% 179.0 183.7 -17.9 -11.0 196.9 194.7 Estonia 18.2 28% 12.2 29% 6.0 25% 20.0 32% 14.4 26% 5.6 49% -1.7 -0.9 -2.2 -1.9 0.4 1.1 Ireland 160.8 2% 61.4 -4% 99.4 6% 100.5 15% 38.2 15% 62.3 15% 60.3 70.6 23.2 30.9 37.1 39.7 Greece 39.9 30% 21.4 21% 18.5 41% 64.2 31% 32.9 18% 31.3 49% -24.3 -18.1 -11.5 -10.2 -12.9 -7.9 Spain 325.3 21% 203.7 23% 121.6 16% 354.2 24% 193.5 20% 160.7 30% -28.9 -15.7 10.3 3.3 -39.2 -19.0 France 495.0 16% 270.6 18% 224.4 13% 604.6 19% 400.4 19% 204.1 19% -109.6 -81.3 -129.9 -107.4 20.3 26.2 Croatia 19.2 28% 13.2 30% 6.0 23% 29.1 24% 21.6 19% 7.5 40% -9.9 -8.5 -8.4 -8.0 -1.5 -0.5 Italy 516.3 18% 269.8 20% 246.5 16% 465.8 25% 267.3 23% 198.6 28% 50.4 63.3 2.5 6.9 47.9 56.4 Cyprus 3.2 19% 0.9 -6% 2.4 32% 8.5 12% 5.5 24% 3.1 -6% -5.3 -5.0 -4.6 -3.5 -0.7 -1.4 Latvia 17.7 24% 11.4 29% 6.4 17% 20.6 28% 15.0 23% 5.5 44% -2.9 -1.8 -3.7 -3.4 0.8 1.6 Lithuania 34.6 21% 19.9 24% 14.6 16% 37.8 30% 25.5 23% 12.3 44% -3.2 -0.5 -5.5 -4.6 2.4 4.1 Luxembourg 14.0 16% 11.3 16% 2.7 14% 21.7 17% 19.3 17% 2.4 18% -7.7 -6.4 -8.0 -6.7 0.3 0.3 Hungary 119.8 14% 93.5 13% 26.3 16% 120.1 18% 85.5 19% 34.6 16% -0.2 4.0 8.0 11.0 -8.2 -7.0 Malta 2.6 12% 1.3 9% 1.3 15% 5.8 27% 3.4 28% 2.4 25% -3.2 -2.2 -2.1 -1.5 -1.1 -0.8 Netherlands 707.7 20% 490.9 26% 216.7 7% 641.2 23% 264.4 22% 376.8 24% 66.5 69.5 226.5 171.3 -160.0 -101.8 Austria 170.9 15% 117.9 16% 53.0 14% 185.0 23% 141.2 22% 43.8 26% -14.1 -2.6 -23.3 -14.2 9.2 11.6 Poland 285.8 19% 213.8 21% 72.1 16% 286.4 25% 188.9 22% 97.6 32% -0.6 10.6 24.9 22.2 -25.5 -11.6 Portugal 63.5 18% 45.4 18% 18.1 18% 82.5 21% 60.7 19% 21.8 26% -19.0 -14.4 -15.4 -12.5 -3.7 -1.9 Romania 73.9 20% 54.1 18% 19.8 24% 98.4 22% 71.3 20% 27.1 28% -24.4 -18.7 -17.2 -13.5 -7.3 -5.2 Slovenia 48.2 23% 32.5 23% 15.7 23% 48.7 32% 27.3 26% 21.5 41% -0.5 2.3 5.2 4.8 -5.7 -2.4 Slovakia 87.6 16% 70.6 18% 17.1 8% 87.6 19% 68.5 16% 19.1 32% 0.0 1.9 2.0 0.5 -2.0 1.4 Finland 69.1 19% 38.8 24% 30.4 15% 72.5 21% 50.5 18% 22.1 30% -3.4 -1.9 -11.7 -11.4 8.3 9.5 Sweden 160.4 18% 86.2 21% 74.2 14% 158.0 20% 105.3 18% 52.7 25% 2.5 4.9 -19.0 -17.9 21.5 22.8 Source dataset: ext_st_27_2020msbec Malta extra-EU imports increased by 128.1% in December 2021, highest in EU27