President Milanović Meets with Members of the Exporters’ Club: 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 half of Croatia’s nominal GDP. I stress ‘nominal’ because nominal figures and purchasing power are not the same, and GDP measured by purchasing power parity should certainly be given priority. Looking at absolute figures, all indicators have risen significantly since joining the EU. However, we remain equally or similarly unbalanced, equally dependent on foreign knowledge and services, and there are no signs of this changing significantly,” said the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović at a meeting with members of Lider’s Exporters’ Club held on Tuesday at the Office of the President.
President Milanović agreed with the view that exports are a driver of growth, but warned that only exports that are “competitive, technologically advanced, dominant, and penetrating” can play that role. “Exports are a measure of strength and advantage over competitors and are best reflected in how much a country manages to sell to others. After 13 years of EU membership, we are still where we started. We are a country highly dependent on tourism, which is the only ‘industry’ in the broader sense that has developed significantly and benefited Croatia – but it also represents dependence on a single aggregate factor, a single source,” the President warned.
He emphasized that Croatia “has not been and must not be erased by joining the EU,” and that “we must always be aware of the kind of system we have voluntarily joined, without coercion, and of the rules that govern it.” Speaking about the EU’s position in today’s global landscape, he noted that “the European Union has an overall trade surplus of €150 billion,” and that “as a whole, the EU is self-sufficient in food production, which Croatia is not.” However, he cautioned that at the same time “the European Union is becoming a second-tier global player.” “We will continue to live relatively well and comfortably for years to come, and our children’s generation will also live relatively well. However, what comes after that is very difficult to discern from the current global landscape,” he said.
“I will do everything in my power, as someone who formally represents Croatia abroad, to help, support, and open doors for Croatian goods, services, and knowledge. With hope and optimism that Croatia can do better – although for some reason it often seems unwilling, as if we have been operating on inertia – I believe these discussions will yield practical benefits. I have no need for self-promotion, I am no longer running in elections, but I will do what I can to help our people generate benefits and strength for Croatia,” President Milanović concluded.
Following introductory remarks by President Milanović and Lider editor-in-chief Miodrag Šajatović, Manuela Tašler, Head of Lider’s Exporters’ Club, presented new data on Croatian exports.
According to data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, the top five export markets last year were Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, which entered the top five for the first time. Exports to the United States declined, while exports to Canada increased significantly. The data show that more than half of Croatia’s exports are concentrated in just five markets, and nearly two-thirds of export growth was generated in Germany, Slovenia, and Italy. Germany remains the key market for Croatian exports. A major concern is that most exports are still concentrated in lower value-added segments.
The 43rd meeting of Lider’s Exporters’ Club, held at the Office of the President of the Republic, was attended – alongside representatives of the business magazine Lider, including editor-in-chief Miodrag Šajatović, directors Bojana Božanić Ivanović and Danko Sučević, and Head of Lider’s Exporters’ Club Manuela Tašler – by representatives of member companies: Katija Klepo, President of the Management Board, AD Plastik d.d.; Sergio Galošić, President of the Management Board, Amelicor Group d.o.o.; Ivana Barišić, Export Director of Meteor Group, Badel 1862 d.d.; Sanja Kunić, Export Manager, Badel 1862 d.d.; Ivan Bajkovec, Director, Bajkmont d.o.o.; Zvonko Kolobara, General Manager, BAT Adria; Pavao Pocrnja, Senior Core Manager for BAT Adria (Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina); Snježana Poljanek, Sales and Marketing Manager, DHL International d.o.o.; Krešimir Paić, President of the Management Board, ECCOS-Inženjering d.o.o.; Zvonimir Samodol, President of the Management Board, Croatian Credit Insurance d.d.; Alenka Jajac-Knez, Executive Director, Jadran-Galenski laboratorij d.d.; Ivan Paić, Member of the Management Board, KONČAR Elektroindustrija d.d.; Vlatka Kamenić Jagodić, Director of the Marketing and Corporate Communications Division, KONČAR Elektroindustrija d.d.; Tomislav Bagić, President of the Management Board, Kraš prehrambena industrija d.d.; Milena Vušak, Member of the Management Board, Kraš prehrambena industrija d.d.; Ivana Jelaš, Financial Adviser to Liburnia (KWAN Advisery), LIBURNIA Maritime Agency d.o.o.; Dario Kaurić, Adviser to the Management Board for International Cooperation and Regulatory Affairs, Odašiljači i veze d.o.o.; Ivan Ostojić, Member of the Management Board, Podravka d.d.; and Nikola Požgaj, President of the Management Board, Požgaj Group d.o.o.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Ana Marija Katić