Bulgaria Import Trade Data: $53.53B in 2023, Down 7.9%

Germany and Türkiye Lead a Diversified Supplier List

Bulgaria imported $53.53 billion worth of goods in 2023, the latest year with verified trade data in this dataset. That total marks a decline of 7.9% from the $58.09 billion recorded in 2022, easing from the highest annual figure in the five-year span this dataset covers. Germany was the largest supplier, providing 12.4% of the total, worth $6.63 billion.

Turkey ranked second at 8.2% ($4.40 billion), ahead of Romania at 6.8% ($3.64 billion) and Italy at 6.7% ($3.60 billion). Russia took fifth place at 6.6% ($3.51 billion), followed by China at 5.4% ($2.88 billion) and Greece at 4.4% ($2.35 billion). Netherlands took eighth place at 4.1% ($2.19 billion), Poland added 3.9% ($2.09 billion), and Hungary rounded out the top ten at 3.5% ($1.87 billion). Together, the top three suppliers made up 27.4% of total import value.

Russia's fifth-place position stands out given the European Union's broad sanctions on Russian oil imposed after the invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Bulgaria secured a specific exemption allowing continued imports to supply its own Neftochim Burgas refinery. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air found that the refinery imported more than 4.95 million tonnes of Russian crude in the first ten months of 2023 alone, with Russian oil rising from 70% of the plant's crude intake before the invasion to 93% that year. That flow shows up directly in the import figures here, and it connects to the mineral fuels category further down this page. Germany and Türkiye's top two positions reflect a broader mix of manufactured goods, machinery, and consumer products, while Romania and Italy's presence in the top four fits Bulgaria's close EU and regional trade ties. China, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, and Hungary close out the top ten with smaller but still meaningful shares, spanning Asian manufacturing, regional overland trade, and Western European logistics hubs rather than any single dominant relationship.

Electronics, Fuel, and Machinery Anchor a Balanced Import Mix

Electrical machinery and equipment led all import categories in 2023, worth $6.47 billion and accounting for 12.1% of total import value. Mineral fuels, mineral oils and related distillation products followed closely at 11.2% ($5.97 billion), and machinery and mechanical appliances ranked third at 9.9% ($5.31 billion).

Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock added 7.7% ($4.11 billion), while plastics and articles thereof contributed 4.2% ($2.27 billion). Ores, slag and ash brought in 4.2% ($2.24 billion), and pharmaceutical products added 4.2% ($2.23 billion). Iron and steel contributed 3.4% ($1.80 billion), copper and articles thereof added 2.4% ($1.26 billion), and iron or steel articles closed out the top ten at 2.0% ($1.09 billion).

Mineral fuels' second-place position lines up closely with the Russian crude flowing into the Neftochim Burgas refinery described above, alongside other crude and refined product imports feeding Bulgaria's broader energy sector. Electrical machinery and general machinery leading the list, together worth more than a fifth of total import value, point to a manufacturing sector that imports components and equipment to feed the same electronics and machinery industries that dominate Bulgaria's export list. Ores and copper further down the list likely feed the country's metal processing industry, including further inputs for Aurubis Bulgaria's copper operations. Vehicles, plastics, and pharmaceutical products round out a list weighted toward industrial and consumer goods that support a diversified, EU-integrated economy rather than dependence on any single import category. As with the export side, the spread across ten fairly different categories, energy, electronics, transport, chemicals, and metals, suggests an economy that manufactures and trades broadly rather than one built around a narrow set of commodities.

A Strong Climb, Then a Pullback

Bulgaria's imports followed a mostly upward path over the past five years before pulling back. Imports fell from $37.77 billion in 2019 to $35.03 billion in 2020, likely reflecting disrupted shipping and softer demand during the early stages of the global pandemic, then climbed sharply to $46.40 billion in 2021 and further to a five-year high of $58.09 billion in 2022, before declining 7.9% to $53.53 billion in 2023.

The 2023 pullback follows the same direction as the decline on Bulgaria's export side over the same period, consistent with a broader easing in trade activity after two years of rapid growth. For a closer look at how individual partner countries or product categories break down year over year, the data panels above provide the full detail behind these figures.