Foreign trade dwindles in first quarter
In the first quarter of 2024, goods valued at 19.947 billion levs were exported from Bulgaria, which is 11.1% less compared to the same period of 2023.
In March 2024, the total export of goods amounted to 7.139 billion levs and decreased by 10.4% compared to the same month of the previous year.
The value of imports fell by 4.1% to 23.772 billion levs in the first quarter and by 2.1% to 8.4 billion levs in March.
Hotels busier in March
Hoteliers' March revenues from overnight stays increased by 17.4% compared to the same month of the previous year and reached 93.5 million levs, the National Statistical Institute announced today.
Of these, 58.8 million levs are from Bulgarian citizens, and 34.7 million levs- from foreign tourists.
Total bed occupancy was 27.1%, increasing by 0.1 percentage points compared to a year earlier. The occupancy of beds in 4- and 5-star accommodations is highest - 37.3%, followed by 3-star - 25.4%, and 1- and 2-star - 16.4%.
Ukrainians in Bulgaria to inspect Belene NPP
Experts from the Ukrainian operator of nuclear power plants Energoatom are at Belene NPP site to assess nuclear equipment and technical documentation, according to Dnevnik.
Bulgaria agreed to sell the Belene nuclear reactors last year, but since then no news has emerged on the issue. Parliament obliged negotiations to be held with the Ukrainians.
During the visit, the Ukrainians will also touch on the conservation process that NEK experts perform on the stored equipment.
Reuters recently reported that Ukraine hopes to sign a deal in June to buy the two nuclear reactors from Bulgaria to be installed at the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant in western Ukraine.
Foreign trade dwindles in first quarter
In the first quarter of 2024, goods valued at 19.947 billion levs were exported from Bulgaria, which is 11.1% less compared to the same period of 2023.
