Weathering the challenges, Croatia's commodity exports have achieved a strong growth, and the number of exporters increased by 1,700 in 2021, giving rise to relative optimism in the current challenging times, it was said at a conference in Zagreb on Tuesday.

Croatian commodity exports are at the level of 2019, and despite the challenges, they achieved €7.5 billion in the first four months of this year, which is 35% more compared to the same period last year, it was said at the 9th edition of the conference “mart people know what exports are for”.

“In times that are fraught with problems, starting with the Covid pandemic, unfavorable circumstances caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, rising energy prices and difficulties in obtaining raw materials, exports still remain to be good news, something that is positive and is recording strong growth rates,” State-Secretary in the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development Natasa Mikus-Zigman assessed.

“The data are extremely good and positive, and were glad to see that the manufacturing industry contributes to the export growth rate with a share of 80%,” says Mikus-Zigman.

“It is the government’s task to make it possible for these rates to remain stable or continue to rise, she said, adding that the government’s activities are focused on several segments – on measures to ensure enough energy and other raw materials so that the economy can function normally and to continue conducting structural reforms. The focus is also on digitisation and the green economy,” she said.

Mikus-Zigman also informed that the share of exporters in recipients of EU support is over 50% and that exporters use the opportunities available from the EU budget to the largest extent. She also stated that 1,700 more exporting companies were recorded in 2021 than in 2020 and underscored that even in these challenging times there is room for “relative optimism.”

The President of the Management Board of Podravka, Martina Dalic, said that this year turned out to be much more difficult, challenging and uncertain than they thought last year while making financial plans. The consequences of the pandemic have led to disruptions in the market that triggered off an increase in the price of raw materials, transport, and energy while the war in Ukraine led to new risks and a new price hike, Dalic elaborated.

“It will be fair to say that regardless of which measures have been taken by the government to protect us, we in the enterprise sector cannot fend off the effects of this crisis as this is a a crisis of global nature and has been caused by extreme shocks on the side of the supply,” said Dalic adding that both for businesses and consumers challenging and hard times are ahead.