Bulgaria’s trade deficit widened to EUR 1,426.2 million in March 2026, up from EUR 998.7 million in the same month a year earlier. This was the largest trade gap since December 2025, as exports increased by 12% year-on-year to a twenty‑month high of EUR 4,095 million, driven by stronger sales to both EU countries (up 15.3%) and non‑EU markets (up 6%). At the same time, imports surged by 18.6% to an all‑time high of EUR 5,521 million, mainly reflecting higher purchases from EU partners (up 19.5%) and non‑EU countries (up 17.5%).
Over the first quarter of 2026, Bulgaria recorded a cumulative trade deficit of EUR 3,283 million, compared with EUR 2,475 million in the corresponding period of the previous year. During this period, exports grew by 3.7%, while imports rose by 9.2%.
