Bulgaria’s trade deficit for January-September 2012 exceeded €2.7 bn, compared to €26.1 bn for the same period of 2011, Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) data showed. The trade deficit got September 2012 alone stood at s was negative €140 mln, compared to €257 mln for September 2011.

In January-September 2012, exports were worth €15.43 bn, having increased by €333 mln (2.2%), compared to the same period of 2011 (€15.1 bn). In September, exports totaled €1.81 bn, some €29 mln (1.6%) up from September 2011 (€1.78 bn). This minimum growth in exports was far below the double-digit rates of growth last year. It was growth in exports which the Government counted on when forecasting GDP growth of over 2% for the year, which will obviously not come true.

Imports for the first nine months of 2012 totaled €18.15 bn, having increased by €1.78 bn (10.9%), compared to the same period of 2011 (€16.36 mln). Imports in September alone stood at €1.95 bn, having decreased by €89 mln (4.4%), compared to the same month of 2011 (€2.04 bn).