January exports grew 2.0% yr/yr to €6.253 billion after declining 1.1% yr/yr in December. 


Imports rose 2.3% to €5.830 billion following a twelve-month import growth of 0.4% in the previous month.


Import growth has exceeded export growth for the third month in a row.


The twelve-month increases came from a high base as export grew 27.9% yr/yr and imports rose 30.7% in January 2011, both up from the growth rates in December 2010.


The January figures suggest that the near stagnation of imports and the drop of exports in December — the first exports decline in two years — was probably temporary.


Other European Union member states had a 76.7% share in Hungary’s exports and a 66.8% share in its imports in January.


KSH will publish a second reading of the January data on April 3.