In April 2024, the increases in exports and imports of Fuels and lubricants (+56.0% and +22.1%, respectively) are noteworthy. In the case of imports, the variation was essentially due to increases in volume (+58.9%) and prices (+8.1%) of Crude oil. The increases in exports of Transport equipment (+23.2%) and Food and beverages (+31.9%) and in imports of Industrial supplies (+9.0%) and Capital goods and parts thereof (+14.0%) are also noteworthy.
Excluding Fuels and lubricants, there were increases of 12.5% both in exports and in imports in April 2024 (-13.6% and -12.8%, respectively, in March 2024).
In April 2024, the unit value indices (prices) continued to record negative rates of change, -1.8% in exports and -3.8% in imports (-2.9% and -3.2%, respectively, in March 2024; +0.3% and -5.3% in April 2023). Excluding petroleum products, there were decreases of 2.4% in exports and 4.5% in imports (-2.8% and -3.9%, respectively, in March 2024; +3.1% and -2.0% in April 2023).
The deficit of the trade balance amounted to EUR 2,357 million in April 2024, corresponding to an increase of EUR 180 million vis-à-vis the same month in 2023, the first aggravation since August 2023. Excluding Fuels and lubricants, the deficit amounted to EUR 1,930 million, reflecting an increase of EUR 216 million.
In the quarter ended in April 2024, exports increased by 0.1% and imports decreased by 1.1%, year-on-year (-4.4% and -6.3%, in the same order, in the 1st quarter of 2024).
