Bulgaria's exports to EU member-states amounted to BGN 22.1 bn between January and November 2012, which is 3.1% less than the same period a year earlier, according to data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI). In November, export volumes to destinations within the EU fell by 2.7% year-on-year to BGN 2.2 bn. Bulgaria's main trade partners, Germany, Italy, Romania, Greece, France, Belgium and Spain, account for 75.5% of its exports to EU member-states.

The biggest increase in exports within the bloc, 24.2%, came from the Fossil Fuels, Oils and Similar Products category, whereas the biggest drop, 26.4%, was in Inedible Raw Materials.

In the first 11 months of 2012, the volume of goods Bulgaria imported from EU countries increased by 8.9%, compared to the same period a year ago to BGN 27 bn. In monetary terms the biggest rise was in imports from Germany, Italy, Romania, Greece and Spain. In November, Bulgaria's imports from EU member-states rose 3.6% year-on-year to BGN 2.7 bn.

Fossil Fuels, Oils and Similar Products recorded the biggest percentage increase - 48.4%, in imports. At the other end of the spectrum was the Inedible Raw Materials category with a 8.4% decrease.

In this way, Bulgaria's trade balance with the EU for the January-November period of 2012 showed a deficit of BGN 3.85 bn. The nation's trade deficit with Germany grew 5.5 times in the same period to more than BGN 1.22 bn, which is largely attributed to the €BGN 458 mln drop in Bulgarian manufacturers' sales on the German market.