The export of goods in the first 9 months of this year compared to the same period last year decreased by as much as 6,1 percent, while the value of imports decreased by 0,6 percent. The decline in exports and imports are bad economic indicators for our economic development. Realized exports this year as of September are 5,86 billion euros, and imports are 8,2 billion, which means that the coverage of imports with exports is 71,5 percent.

"Trade by product shows that the largest share of exports is catalysts on carriers with precious metals or their compounds, sets of ignition wires, etc., for vehicles, airplanes or ships, parts of seats from subgroup 821.1 and other catalysts on carriers. Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (except crude), other platinum group metals and their alloys, unprocessed or in powder form, platinum and platinum alloys, unprocessed or in powder form, and other motor vehicles for transportation are the most represented in the imports. of persons", it is written in the report of the State Statistics Office.

In this period, according to the total volume of foreign trade, we traded mostly with Germany, Great Britain, Greece, China and Serbia.

What is particularly worrying is that the decline in exports to Germany is as much as 13,3 percent in the first 9 months of the year compared to the same period in 2023. Imports, on the other hand, are stable and have a plus of 0,9 percent. This year, as of September, we exported 41 percent of our total exports to Germany, so the developments there are extremely important. The data shared by the media is that the German economy is in a mild recession. At the recent "Bloomberg Adria" conference on the economic potential and development opportunities for Macedonia, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said: "It takes time for a new option to emerge so that the country's economy does not completely depend on the developments in Germany." However, a week ago a good news arrived. The first estimates from the Federal Statistical Office show that the gross domestic product (GDP) between July and September in Germany probably increased by 0,2 percent. Analysts had expected the economy to contract by 0,1 percent, Deutsche Welle reported.

But for German investments in Macedonia, the business climate in our country is also important, and especially the workforce.

Antje Wandelt, director of the Delegation of the German Economy (AHK) in North Macedonia, says that the availability of skilled workers is currently the key point when deciding whether to invest.

- The lack of qualified workers is becoming more and more noticeable in North Macedonia and is developing into a complex challenge both for new projects and for reinvestments among German investors. It does not help if all this is only observed from the outside, and every measure taken is important when it comes to maintaining the attractiveness of North Macedonia as an investment location. AHK North Macedonia, together with German investors, already in April 2017 tried to counter the lack of qualified labor through the introduction of the "Skills Expert" program, which is intended for the implementation of dual professional education in the German language in North Macedonia - says Wandelt .

We also have a big drop in exports in Great Britain, in 9 months compared to the same period of 2023, as much as 23 percent. Our connection with Britain in particular is through the British company for the production of catalysts for the automotive industry, which last year made an income of almost 2,4 billion euros. As an illustration, it is more than the entire Budget of Macedonia, which in 2023 on the revenue side was 4,5 billion euros. "Johnson Matty", in addition to being the largest company by revenue last year, is also the largest company by profit of 76,3 million euros, Pari reported.

We also have a drop in exports in the nine-month period with Greece (11,8 percent), with Turkey (11,8 percent), with Kosovo (6,7%)...
Our exports increased to Serbia by 15 percent, to Bulgaria by 13,3 percent, and mostly to the United States by 78,1 percent.

Food imports and exports are also growing

In the first 9 months of this year, we imported food for a total of 770,8 million euros, which is an increase of 9,8 percent compared to the same period last year. At the same time, we exported food for 397,8 million euros, which is 11,5 percent more than last year.
The import of beverages and cigarettes also increased by 16,2 percent, reaching 105,8 million euros. Exports reached 202,6 million euros, or 11,1 percent more.
There is a drop in exports for raw materials (which are not food) by 15,6 percent, for mineral fuels, lubricants and related products by 13,9 percent...