Xifres de comerç exterior de República Txeca

Foreign Trade in Figures

Czech Republic’s economy is very open to the outside world: according to the World Bank, external trade accounted for 135.1% of the GDP in 2020 (latest data available). The automobile industry is the backbone of trade, both for imports and exports, car and spare part manufacturing accounting for nearly one-fifth of Czech exports. Machinery is another major source of exports. Vehicles and spare parts are also among main imports, second only to telecommunication devices, and followed by computers and medicaments.

As a medium-sized, open, export-driven economy, the Czech market is strongly dependent on foreign demand, especially from EU partners. In 2020, Germany was Czech Republic's major trading partner, receiving 32.7% of its exports and supplying 23.3% of its imports. Slovakia was the second top destination for Czech exports (7.6%), followed by Poland (6.2%), France (4.7%) and Austria (4.1%). China (18.1%) was the second-largest supplier of goods and services to the Czech Republic after Germany, followed by Poland (7.9%), Slovakia and Italy (4.1% each – data Comtrade). The country now accounts for 80% of its trade with OECD countries (80% of which with the EU).

Czechia recorded a structurally positive trade balance since entering the EU, a trend that is expected to continue. In recent years, exports benefited from the good performance of the German economy (particularly in relation to its automotive industry). Despite the COVID-19 pandemic which caused a contraction in global international trade, the country’s trade balance improved in 2020 and was estimated to be positive by 6.8% of GDP by the World Bank (from 6% one year earlier). In the same year, exports of goods totalled USD 192 billion (-3.5% year-on-year) whereas imports stood at USD 170.6 billion (-4.7% y-o-y). Concerning trade in services, exports declined to USD 26 billion against USD 21.5 billion of imports (-14.2% and -16.5%, respectively). According to preliminary figures by the Czech Statistical Office, in the period from January to November 2021, exports and imports of goods grew by 13.4% and 19.0%, respectively, compared to one year earlier.