Austrian exports to hit record highs in 2017, 2018: economic official
Xinhua,January 11, 2018 Adjust font size:
VIENNA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Austrian exports are to reach record highs both for 2017 and the current year on the back of a global trade upswing, the Austrian Federal Economic Chambers (WKO) has forecast.
At a press conference in Vienna on Wednesday to highlight the new forecast, outgoing WKO President Christoph Leitl was buoyant about Austria's position.
Based on currently-available data for 2017, the WKO expects a 7.9 percent increase in exports to a total value of over 140 billion euros (167 billion U.S. dollars).
A further 7.5 percent increase is anticipated in 2018, taking total exports to over 150 billion euros (180 billion U.S. dollars), Leitl said.
He noted that between 2000 and 2017, Austria's export volume has doubled.
This is in large part due to Austria's membership of the European Union, that despite being met with skepticism by many Austrians, has been the basis for the country's economic success, he argued. Enditem