Bulgaria’s export increased by 13,1% in January 2010 year-on-year, according to preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute.

Thanks in part to the recovery in Bulgaria’s main trading partners from the EU, the country’s export has grown for the third month in a row, reaching the highest growth since August 2008 when it increased by 15% year-on-year.

For the first the time since the early 1990s most of Bulgaria’s export – 53% - goes to countries outside the EU – which usually takes in about 60%-65% of Bulgaria’s exports.

“These are the first signs – albeit timid ones – that the Bulgarian economy has started to recover,” Bulgaria’s Finance Minister Simeon Djankov has commented.

Thus, Bulgaria’s total export in January 2010 amounted to BGN 1,8 B growing for a third consecutive month after it increased by 4,76% in December 2009, and by 3,85% in November 2009.

However, the figure for January is not due to certain impressive results of Bulgarian companies; it has a lot to do with the fact that the Bulgarian export collapsed in 2009.

Despite its growth in January 2010, Bulgaria’s export is at very low level historically, according to the experts of the National Statistical Institute.

The export of fuel and machine oil registers the largest growth in January 2010 – of about 58% - year-on-year; the export of raw materials grew by 56%; of machines and equipment – 32%; finished goods – 17%; alcohol and tobacco products – 10%.

Bulgaria’s export of vegetable oil dropped by 55%, of living animals – by 22%, and of chemical products – by 1%.

Bulgaria still has a negative trading balance despite the fact that thanks to the crisis its import declined tremendously and the gap has started to shrink.