The value of exported goods from Iceland amounted to 47.3 billion ISK fob in April 2020 and the value of imported goods amounted to 47.6 billion ISK fob (51.5 billion ISK cif). Thus, there was a trade deficit, calculated on fob value, of 0.4 billion ISK as compared with a trade deficit of 15.3 billion ISK in April 2019 at current rates of exchange. Trade in ships and aircraft had a negligible impact on the trade balance.
Fall in export revenue
The total value of exports of goods in the first four months of 2020 was 27.9 billion ISK lower (12.5%) than in the same period the year before at current rates of exchange1. This decrease in export is mainly due to transactions with ships and aircrafts in January 2019. Manufacturing products contributed 50.3% of the total exports and their value was 3.6% lower than in 2019. Marine products contributed 41.3% of total exported goods and their value was 4.0% lower than one year ago.
Value of imports 23.6 billion ISK lower
The total value of imports of goods in the first four months of 2020 was 23.6 billion ISK lower (9.8%) than in 2019 at current rates of exchange. Imports decreased in every category except in imports of transport equipment and consumer goods.
| The value of exports and imports in January-April 2019 and 2020 | |||
| Million ISK at current exchange rate | Change on prev. year at current exchange rates % January-April | ||
| January-April | |||
| 2019 | 2020 | ||
| Exports fob, total | 224,199.1 | 196,282.7 | -12.5 |
| Marine products | 84,364.2 | 80,969.8 | -4.0 |
| Agricultural products | 10,359.1 | 11,657.1 | 12.5 |
| Manufacturing products | 102,500.2 | 98,784.4 | -3.6 |
| Other products | 26,975.7 | 4,871.4 | -81.9 |
| Imports fob, total | 240,321.7 | 216,731.5 | -9.8 |
| Food and beverages | 22,502.7 | 21,664.4 | -3.7 |
| Industrial supplies n.e.s. | 75,892.4 | 60,849.8 | -19.8 |
| Fuels and lubricants | 25,740.8 | 19,016.5 | -26.1 |
| Capital goods (except for transport) | 57,914.1 | 48,155.7 | -16.8 |
| Transport equipment | 24,991.9 | 32,659.8 | 30.7 |
| Consumer goods n.e.s. | 33,155.9 | 34,308.8 | 3.5 |
| Goods n.e.s. | 123.9 | 76.6 | -38.2 |
| Balance of trade | -16,122.6 | -20,448.8 | |
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.