REQUEST THE MAGAZINE

Magazine for ports, shipping and logistics

V4 = concentrated export power

Communication experts advise never to use abbreviations without explaining
them explicitly. A premium example of this is “V4”. Depending on the context, it may mean an engine with four cylinders, an Italian racing car or an area of the cerebral cortex. However, the term “V4” is also used for the Visegrád Group, in which four states comprising the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland have joined together to deepen their economic integration within the European Union (EU) and to intensify their cooperation in a wide variety of areas.
For editorial reasons, we have limited this article to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, in order to be able to take a closer look at these countries. In 2020, around 7.3 per cent of Germany’s total turnover in foreign trade went to these three states, which, in return, generated foreign trade turnover of 163.7 billion euros. So we are talking about three true export nations with close ties to Germany and the EU. This does not mean that we are simply letting Poland fall by the wayside. Next year
we will devote an edition of LOGISTICS PILOT to our eastern neighbour.

Slowakia

Capital: Bratislava
Population 2020: 5.5 m.*
Area: 49,035 km2
GDP per capita 2020: 19,071 US-$*

Main imports 2020
as % of total imports

  • 1. Vehicles and parts 17% 17%
  • 2. Electronics 13% 13%
  • 3. Chemical products 10.9% 10.9%

Main exports 2020
as % of total exports

  • 1. Vehicles and parts 34.1% 34.1%
  • 2. Electronics 12.8% 12.8%
  • 3. Machinery 9.7% 9.7%

Main suppliers 2020
in %

  • 1. Germany 18.4% 18.4%
  • 2. Czech Republic 9.9% 9.9%
  • 3. China 6.7% 6.7%

Main buyers 2020
in %

  • 1. Germany 22% 22%
  • 2. Czech Republic 10.5% 10.5%
  • 3. Poland 7.9% 7.9%

Germany’s exports to Slovakia 2020
as % of total exports

  • 1. Vehicles and parts 21.9% 21.9%
  • 1. Machinery 14.1% 14.1%
  • 3. Electrical engineering 11.2% 11.2%

Germany’s imports from Slovakia 2020
as % of total exports

  • 1. Vehicles and parts 43.7% 43.7%
  • 1. Machinery 12.2% 12.2%
  • 3. Electrical engineering 7.6% 7.6%

Czech Republic

Capital: Prague
Population 2020: 10.7 m.*
Area: 78,867 km2
GDP per capita 2020: 22,579 US-$*

Main imports 2020
as % of total imports

  • 2. Electronics 20.2% 20.2%
  • 3. Chemical products 11.8% 11.8%
  • 3. Machinery 11.2% 11.2%

Main exports 2020
as % of total exports

  • 1. Vehicles and parts 19% 19%
  • 2. Electronics 18% 18%
  • 3. Machinery 12% 12%

Main suppliers 2020
in %

  • 1. Germany 23.2% 23.2%
  • 2. China 18.1% 18.1%
  • 3. Poland 7.9% 7.9%

Main buyers 2020
in %

  • 1. Germany 32.7% 32.7%
  • 2. Slovakia 7.6% 7.6%
  • 3. Poland 6.2% 6.2%

Germany’s exports to Czech Republic 2020 as % of total exports

  • 1. Maschinery 15.5% 15.5%
  • 1. Chemical products 12.8% 12.8%
  • 3. Elektronics 11.5% 11.5%
Germany’s imports from Czech Republic 2020 as % of total imports
  • 1. Vehicles and parts 22.9% 22.9%
  • 1. Machinery 12.8% 12.8%
  • 3. Electrical engineering 10.3% 10.3%

Hungary

Capital: Budapest
Population 2020: 9,.7 m.*
Area: 90,030 km2
GDP per capita 2020: 15,820 US-$*

Main imports 2020
as % of total imports

  • 1. Chemical products 14% 14%
  • 2. Electronics 13.9% 13.9%
  • 3. Machinery 12.7% 12.7%

Main exports 2020
as % of total exports

  • 1. Vehicles and parts 16.4% 16.4%
  • 2. Electronics 13.9% 13.9%
  • 3. Electrical engineering 13.5% 13.5%

Main suppliers 2020
in %

  • 1. Germany 24.8% 24.8%
  • 2. China 7.7% 7.7%
  • 3. Austria 5.8% 5.8%
  • 4. Poland 5.8% 5.8%

Main buyers 2020
in %

  • 1. Germany 28% 28%
  • 2. Slovakia 5.4% 5.4%
  • 3. Italy 5.2% 5.2%
  • 4. Romania 5.2% 5.2%

Germany’s exports to Hungary 2020
as % of total exports

  • 1. Maschinery 18.2% 18.2%
  • 2. Vehicles and parts 14.5% 14.5%
  • 3. Chemical products 12.6% 12.6%

Germany’s imports from Hungary 2020
as % of total imports

  • 1. Vehicles and parts 23.7% 23.7%
  • 1. Machinery 17.7% 17.7%
  • 3. Electrical engineering 14.3% 14.3%
Source: GTAI 2021
*provisional figure, estimate or forec ast
Photos: Ra il Cargo Operator, Vectorstock/siraanamwong