We spent 300 million euros on importing food and animals

During the first nine months of this year, food and live animals worth more than 300 million euros were imported into Montenegro, according to preliminary data from the Montenegrin statistical office Monstat.

This continued the enormous level of import of products for which there are resources in the country for at least domestic consumption.

According to Monstat data, of that sum, 91,6 million euros refer to meat and meat products, and 41,3 million euros to cereals and cereal products.

Looking at countries, we import the most from Serbia, Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The total foreign trade exchange of Montenegro in the first nine months, according to Monstat data, amounted to 1,57 billion euros, which is 2,7 percent less compared to the same period last year.

The unfavorable ratio of exports and imports continued, because in the period from January to September, goods worth 241 million were exported and as much as 1,3 billion euros were imported. The coverage of imports by exports was barely above 18 percent, which is a significant drop compared to 21,4 percent, which was in the same period last year.

Serbia is Montenegro's biggest export partner as well. During this year, goods and services worth 55,5 million euros were exported to that neighboring country, and more will follow Croatia with 32,6 million euros and Belarus, which recently temporarily suspended the import of meat from Montenegro, with 27,6 million euros.

Montenegro's foreign trade exchange this year is the largest with the signatories of the Central European Free Trade Area (CEFTA) and the European Union (EU).