Stats: Slovakia Posted Trade Surplus of €591.5 Mn in March 2026

Bratislava, 7 May (TASR) - According to preliminary data, Slovakia exported goods worth €10.1 billion in March 2026, up 0.5 percent year-on-year (y-o-y), while imports fell 1.6 percent to €9.6 billion, with the trade balance seeing a surplus of €591.5 million, up €205 million y-o-y, the Statistics Office reported on Thursday, adding that exports returned to a y-o-y increase after two months, while imports fell for the fourth consecutive month. This positive result was primarily due to a decline across a broader range of imported goods, complemented by a slight increase in exports. Concerning the structure of exports, six of the ten categories showed annual increases, with the most significant impact coming from a nearly 15-percent increase in miscellaneous industrial products as the third most traded category. Conversely, mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, which includes energy carriers, saw an almost 51-percent drop in exports. On the import side, half of the ten categories saw decreases, with the machinery and transport equipment category falling by nearly 4 percent y-o-y. In addition, the category of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, which includes imports of oil, electricity and natural gas, declined by more than 16 percent y-o-y. In March 2026, machinery and transport equipment remained the most frequently traded category, making up almost 62 percent of overall exports and nearly 48 percent of overall imports. Almost 79 percent of Slovakia's exports went to other EU countries in March, and imports from them made up over 68 percent of the country's total imports. Exports to other EU countries grew by nearly 4 percent y-o-y, while imports from them increased by almost 5 percent. Exports to non-EU countries declined by almost 10 percent, and imports from them were 13 percent lower than the year before. Foreign trade with other EU-member states recorded a surplus of almost €1.6 billion, while with non-EU countries it posted a deficit of almost €1 billion. In the first three months of this year, exports fell by 0.6 percent y-o-y to €27.9 billion, and imports dropped by 1.7 percent to €27.2 billion. Overall, foreign trade posted a surplus of €757.6 million, while for the same period in 2025 the surplus was at €444.3 million. According to revised figures for January and February 2026, Slovakia's exports decreased by 1.1 percent y-o-y to €17.8 billion, and imports fell by 1.7 percent to €17.6 billion. Foreign trade posted a surplus of €166.1 million, compared to €57.7 million for the same period in 2025. jrg