Czech exporters show large interest in Russia

Businessmen are interested mostly in the former Soviet area, Middle East, Latin America and Africa.

The Russian Federation is a dominant destination interesting the Czech exporters. The demand for information about its market is the largest one in comparison with other destinations as a survey organized by the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic has shown.

The Confederation has organized the survey among the participants in the two-day conference with the economic diplomats and directors of the CzechTrade agency's foreign offices. The potential interest in the Russian market among the Czech companies is about 30 percent. As the survey organized by the Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Crafts of the Czech Republic has confirmed 15 percent of the Czech companies want to expand their export to Russia.

Among the countries in which the Czech exporters are interested most figure the BRIC countries as China (2nd placed), Brasil (4th placed) and India (5th placed). Other destination of interest are Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Among the top ten countries figure only two members of the European Union, namely Germany (3rd placed) and Poland (9th placed).

Two thirds of demands for a meeting with the economic diplomats and directors of the CzechTrade agency's foreign offices have concerned the destinations of the former Soviet Union, Middle East, Latin America and Africa. Last year it was only 55 percent of all demands.

„Czech authorities should direct their export-supporting activities towards the countries outside the EU," the Confederation's vice-president Radek Špicar said. „It is there where the network of economic diplomats and foreign offices of the CzechTrade agency should be strengthened."