Balance of trade
In the first four months of 2019, the value of exported goods from Iceland amounted to ISK 224,200 million fob and the value of imported goods amounted to ISK 239,400 million fob (ISK 256,300 million cif). Thus there was a trade deficit, calculated on fob value, of ISK 15,200 million as compared with a trade deficit of ISK 45,900 million in the first four months of 2018, at current rates of exchange.1 Excluding ships and aircraft, the deficit of balance of trade in goods was ISK 36,800 million in the first four months of 2019 and ISK 33,700 million in the first four months of 2018.
Exports
The total value of exports of goods in the first four months of 2019 was ISK 39,900 million higher (21.7%) than in the same period the year before, at current rates of exchange.1 Exported manufacturing products contributed 45.7% of total exported goods and their value was 2.2% higher than in the same period the year before. Marine products contributed 37.6% of the total exports and their value was 16.9% higher than in the same period the year before1. The value of exports of ships and aircrafts amounted to ISK 22,600 million in the first four months of the year.
Imports
The total value of imports of goods in the first four months of 2019 was ISK 9,300 million higher (4.0%) than in the same period the year before, at current rates of exchange. The imports of industrial supplies and capital goods increased while the imports of transport equipment decreased.
| The value of exports and imports in January-April 2018 and 2019 | |||
| Million ISK at current exchange rate | Change on prev. year at current exchange rates % January-April | ||
| January-April | |||
| 2018 | 2019 | ||
| Exports fob, total | 184,282.3 | 224,203.3 | 21.7 |
| Marine products | 72,184.1 | 84,389.8 | 16.9 |
| Agricultural products | 7,051.0 | 10,368.9 | 47.1 |
| Manufacturing products | 100,275.5 | 102,477.8 | 2.2 |
| Other products | 4,771.7 | 26,966.8 | 465.1 |
| Imports fob, total | 230,153.4 | 239,425.3 | 4.0 |
| Food and beverages | 19,088.5 | 22,478.7 | 17.8 |
| Industrial supplies n.e.s. | 62,237.1 | 75,701.9 | 21.6 |
| Fuels and lubricants | 28,036.9 | 25,740.9 | -8.2 |
| Capital goods (except for transport) | 51,411.4 | 57,894.4 | 12.6 |
| Transport equipment | 40,188.4 | 24,859.5 | -38.1 |
| Consumer goods n.e.s. | 28,915.9 | 32,649.1 | 12.9 |
| Goods n.e.s. | 275.2 | 100.9 | -63.3 |
| Balance of trade | -45,871.1 | -15,222.0 | -66.82 |
¹ Statistics Iceland does no longer publish trade in goods at constant exchange rates. The breakdown of trade in goods by currencies is available on Statistics Iceland’s website.
Monthly figures of external trade for current year are revised together with the release of figures for new months. Annual figures are published in the first half of the year after the end of the reference year. The figures are considered as final at that point in time.