Compared to the year 2020, the turnover of the Austrian
foreign trade of the year 2021 (preliminary results) indicated an increase
with regard to imports as well as to exports. Austrian imports of goods
increased by 23.2% to €177.98 bn; Austrian exports increased by 16.1%
to €165.48 bn. Foreign trade with EU member states showed also an increase
in both trade flows (intra-EU-imports:
Please consult our German website for tables and summary reports containing further information.
The increase in the months April, May and June significantly contributed to the positive development of the reporting year as a whole. A general recovery in exports and imports was already recorded in March 2021. With the exception of exports in the reporting month of October, both imports and exports have been consistently above the level of the respective comparative months of the pre-Corona-crisis year 2019 since March 2021.
Imports of Machinery and transport equipment increased
by 16.7% and showed the strongest plus in terms of value and the highest
value for imports. Nutrition recorded the lowest percentage increases
in imports, with imports up 5.2% to €10.69 bn and exports up 8.6% to
€9.59 bn.
Exports were also led by Machinery and vehicles, up 12.6%, followed
by Processed goods
Overall, trade with the EU member states accounted for 66.6% of total imports (year 2020: 68.4%) and 68.1% of total exports (year 2020: 67.6%). In 2021 as a whole, imports of goods from the EU partner countries increased by 20.1% to €118.58 bn. Exports of goods to these countries increased by 16.9% to €112.64 bn. Compared with the previous year; the deficit in trade with the EU increased from €2.38 bn to €5.94 bn.
The most important EU-trading partners for imports were Germany, Italy, Czechia, Poland, the Netherlands and Hungary. All of these countries showed an increase in imports.
Germany, Italy, Poland, France, Hungary and Czechia played an important role in Austrian exports to the EU Member States. All these countries recorded an increase in exports.
The largest increase with respect to imports and exports
was recorded for Machinery and transport equipment (intra-EU-imports:
The value of imports from non-EU countries increased by 30.1% to €59.39 bn as well as exports increased by 14.4% to €52.83 bn. The balance of trade with non-EU countries showed a deficit of €6.56 bn. In the year 2021 an amount of 33.4% of all imports were registered with third countries while the share of exports was 31.9%.
China, Switzerland and the United States were the most important non-EU-trading partners on the import side and showed positive change rates compared to 2020. On the export side the three major non-EU countries were: United States followed by Switzerland and China. The export values to these three third countries increased.
The increase of import values of Machinery and transport
equipment
The export-related growth was largely attributable
to Machinery and transport equipment
Results (overview): foreign trade: imports, exports and percentage change; 2021 (preliminary results) | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Foreign trade: imports, exports with balance; 2021 (preliminary results) | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |