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Foreign trade figures of the Czech Republic

Foreign Trade in Figures

The Czech Republic’s economy is very open to the outside world: according to the World Bank, external trade accounts for 152% of the GDP. The automobile industry is the backbone of trade, both for imports and exports. Data from the CZSO show that the main exports in 2022 were motor vehicles (23.6%), machinery and equipment (11.2%), electrical equipment (9.4%), computer, electronic and optical products (9.3%), fabricated metal products (6.2%); whereas imports were led by motor vehicles (12.6%), computer, electronic and optical products (10.6%), electrical equipment (9.4%), machinery and equipment (8.6%), chemicals and chemical products (8.5%).

As a medium-sized, open, export-driven economy, the Czech market is strongly dependent on foreign demand, especially from EU partners. In 2022, Germany was the Czech Republic's major trading partner, receiving 32.8% of its exports and supplying 19.8% of its imports. Slovakia was the second top destination for Czech exports (8.4%), followed by Poland (7.1%), France (4.6%) and Austria (4.4%). China (18.8%) was the second-largest supplier of goods and services to the Czech Republic after Germany, followed by Poland (8%), Russia (4.8%), and Slovakia (4.2% – data Comtrade).

Czechia recorded a structurally positive trade balance since entering the EU. In 2022, the country’s trade balance was estimated to be positive by 1% of GDP by the World Bank (from 3% one year earlier, with a declining trend recorded in recent years). In the same year, exports of goods totalled USD 241.9 billion (+6.7% year-on-year) whereas imports stood at USD 236.2 billion (+11.4% y-o-y). Concerning trade in services, exports increased to USD 33.6 billion against USD 29.8 billion in imports (+13.3% and +21.1%, respectively). According to the latest figures from the Czech Statistical Office, in the first three quarters of 2023, the current-price international trade balance for goods and services reached CZK 91.5 billion, representing a significant increase of CZK 60.1 billion compared to the same period in the previous year.

 
Foreign Trade Values 20192020202120222023
Imports of Goods (million USD) 179,039171,100211,972236,663230,599
Exports of Goods (million USD) 199,128191,911226,564242,015255,450
Imports of Services (million USD) 25,82921,62224,99629,70635,279
Exports of Services (million USD) 30,44926,06529,84933,57538,993

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Indicators 20182019202020212022
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 147.9141.8133.1142.5149.8
Trade Balance (million USD) 9,37910,48212,2663,258-4,140
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) 14,91915,11616,7098,111-271
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 5.81.5-8.213.35.7
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 3.71.5-8.06.95.7
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 71.067.963.269.874.9
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 76.973.969.972.774.8

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 20232024 (e)2025 (e)2026 (e)2027 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) 2.81.43.94.24.6
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) -0.30.43.84.14.9

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data

Note: (e) Estimated Data

 
International Economic Cooperation
Czech Republic is a member of the following international economic organisations: IMF, European Union, ICC, Central European Initiative (CEI), WTO, OECD, Schengen Convention, among others. For the full list of economic and other international organisations in which participates Czech Republic click here. International organisation membership of Czech Republic is also outlined here.
Free Trade Agreements
The complete and up-to-date list of Free Trade Agreements signed by Czech Republic can be consulted here.
 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2023
Germany 32.8%
Slovakia 7.7%
Poland 7.3%
France 4.9%
Austria 4.2%
See More Countries 43.0%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2023
Germany 20.9%
China 17.6%
Poland 8.0%
Slovakia 4.4%
Italy 3.9%
See More Countries 45.1%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

253.3 bn USD of products exported in 2023
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 12.6%
Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles...Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, motor vehicles for the transport of goods and special purpose motor vehicles of heading 8701 to 8705, n.e.s. 6.7%
Telephone sets, incl. telephones for cellular...Telephone sets, incl. telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks; other apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data, incl. apparatus for communication in a wired or wireless network [such as a local or wide area network]; parts thereof (excl. than transmission or reception apparatus of heading 8443, 8525, 8527 or 8528) 6.6%
Automatic data-processing machines and units...Automatic data-processing machines and units thereof; magnetic or optical readers, machines for transcribing data onto data media in coded form and machines for processing such data, n.e.s. 4.8%
Electric accumulators, incl. separators therefor,...Electric accumulators, incl. separators therefor, whether or not square or rectangular; parts thereof (excl. spent and those of unhardened rubber or textiles) 1.8%
See More Products 67.5%
228.9 bn USD of products imported in 2023
Telephone sets, incl. telephones for cellular...Telephone sets, incl. telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks; other apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data, incl. apparatus for communication in a wired or wireless network [such as a local or wide area network]; parts thereof (excl. than transmission or reception apparatus of heading 8443, 8525, 8527 or 8528) 7.0%
Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles...Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, motor vehicles for the transport of goods and special purpose motor vehicles of heading 8701 to 8705, n.e.s. 5.6%
Automatic data-processing machines and units...Automatic data-processing machines and units thereof; magnetic or optical readers, machines for transcribing data onto data media in coded form and machines for processing such data, n.e.s. 3.6%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 2.9%
Electric accumulators, incl. separators therefor,...Electric accumulators, incl. separators therefor, whether or not square or rectangular; parts thereof (excl. spent and those of unhardened rubber or textiles) 2.6%
See More Products 78.3%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows.

 

Main Services

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Latest Update: July 2024