Economy
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Estonia's Trade Deficit Hits €3.8B as Re-Exports Mask Domestic Lag
Estonia's trade deficit widened to €3.8 billion in 2025 as an 8% rise in imports outpaced a 7% increase in exports, a gap fueled by a 14% surge in re-exported goods that diminished the share of domestically produced items in the country's total trade.
- —Estonia's trade deficit widened by 443 million euros to 3.8 billion euros in 2025, driven by a faster growth rate in imports (8%) compared to exports (7%).
- —In 2025, total goods exports reached 18.6 billion euros, while imports totaled over 22.4 billion euros.
- —The primary export categories were electrical equipment (15%), agricultural products and food (13%), and wood and wood products (11%).
- —Mineral products and transport vehicles saw significant export value increases of 204 million euros and 201 million euros, respectively.
- —Re-exports increased by 14% in 2025 compared to the previous year, while exports of Estonian-origin goods grew by 4%, though their share in total exports decreased.
Recap
Estonia's widening trade deficit points to a structural economic shift where growth is increasingly reliant on re-exports rather than domestic production. While overall trade volumes are rising, the faster growth of imports and the declining share of Estonian-origin goods suggest potential vulnerabilities and a reduced value-add for the national economy, despite strong performance in specific sectors like transport vehicles.
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