According to Statistics Estonia, in May 2025, Estonia’s exports of goods grew by 2% and imports by 6%. Exports of goods amounted to about 1.6 billion and imports to nearly 1.9 billion euros at current prices. 

Jane Leppmets, foreign trade analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that, in May, the changes in intra-EU trade were marginal – exports were up by 3% and imports down by 1%. “In extra-EU trade, exports of goods decreased by 2% while imports increased by 54% compared with May last year. The latter was influenced by a large-scale transaction in the defence sector,” noted Leppmets.

Exports to Singapore grew the most 

The main commodities exported in May were electrical equipment (15% of Estonia’s total exports), agricultural products and food preparations (13%), wood and articles of wood (11%), and transport equipment (11%).

Compared with May 2024, the biggest increase occurred in the exports of agricultural products and food preparations (up by 28 million euros, or 16%) and electrical equipment (up by 24 million euros, or 11%). The biggest fall was registered in the exports of mineral products (down by 23 million euros, or 16%), mechanical appliances (down by 22 million euros, or 15%), and base metals and articles of base metal (down by 22 million euros, or 15%).

Compared with May 2024, re-exports of goods increased by 5% in May this year, and exports of goods of Estonian origin remained at the same level. The share of goods of Estonian origin in total exports fell by one percentage point and was 64% in May this year.

Estonia’s top export partner in May was Finland (14% of total exports), followed by Latvia (12%), Lithuania (9%), and Sweden (9%). The main commodities exported were electrical equipment to Finland and Sweden and transport equipment to Latvia and Lithuania.

Compared with May last year, the greatest increase occurred in exports to Singapore (up by 22 million euros), where more mineral products were exported. The biggest decrease occurred in exports of goods to Russia (down by 20 million euros) with fewer dispatches of agricultural products and food preparations.

Estonia’s import growth fueled by defence sector demand

The main commodities imported in May were agricultural products and food preparations (14% of Estonia’s total imports), transport equipment (13%), and electrical equipment (12%). Year on year, the rise in imports was mainly due to the increased arrivals of defence-related products. The greatest decrease occurred in the imports of mineral products (down by 22 million euros, or 12%).

In May, the top partner countries for imports of goods were Finland (12% of Estonia’s total imports), Germany (11%), Latvia (10%), and Lithuania (10%). The main commodities imported were mineral products from Finland and Lithuania, transport equipment from Germany, and agricultural products and food preparations from Latvia.

Compared with May last year, the biggest rise occurred in imports of goods from the United States of America (up by 50 million euros), the Republic of South Africa (up by 46 million euros), and the Netherlands (up by 39 million euros). The biggest fall was recorded in imports from Finland (down by 39 million euros) and Poland (down by 26 million euros).

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