President hosts meeting of the Lider’s Exporters’ Club

According to the website of the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia, President Zoran Milanović met with members of Lider’s Exporters’ Club, stressing that only competitive and technologically advanced exports can drive growth.

“We produce little and export little. The total nominal value of exports of goods and services is €46 billion, which is about half of Croatia’s GDP,” Milanović said, adding that while export figures have risen since EU accession, Croatia remains structurally dependent on imports, foreign knowledge, and services.

He said exports should be “competitive, technologically advanced and strong enough to penetrate foreign markets,” warning that Croatia remains heavily reliant on tourism as a dominant sector.

Milanović also noted that the EU remains a major global economic actor with a trade surplus, but cautioned that it is becoming a “second-tier global player” in the shifting global order.

He added that he would continue, in his capacity as head of state, to support Croatian exporters and promote domestic goods and services abroad.

According to data presented at the meeting, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia were Croatia’s top export markets last year, with Germany remaining the most important destination.