Due to its geographic position and its recent membership to the European Union, Croatia has become an attractive country for investors. Since the country imports twice as much in value as it exports, starting a company in the trade sector can be a profitable decision.
Croatia occupies a strategic location at the heart of Central and Eastern Europe. Its economy is gaining strength and it offers a market with significant growth potential.
Growing economy
The Croatian economy is one of the most developed in Southeast Europe. It is characterised by an increasing number of vibrant and innovative companies across multiple industry sectors. These internationally competitive businesses have strong growth potential and could be excellent partners for UK suppliers.
Emerging Europe
Croatia can act as a gateway to trade with other countries in the Central and Eastern Europe region, a market of over 100 million consumers (World Bank, 2019) which offers great potential for businesses.
Main Benefits (according to gov.ok)
- about 50% of population speak English
- increasingly sophisticated consumers
- modern distribution channels
- equal rights for domestic and foreign private and legal entities
- guaranteed free transfer of capital and free profit repatriation to investors
- average gross wages are high in comparison with neighbouring counties
Strengths of the Croatian market include:
- good transport links
- highest Internet penetration in southeast Europe
- well educated workforce
- stable economy with a stable currency
The U.S. Commercial Service estates that “Croatia is a small and complex market, but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe. This region, the size of Texas in area, represents a market of roughly 60 million people and over $600 billion in GDP. It has significant growth potential, as its integration process into the European Union continues and as local populations strive to achieve the lifestyle of the more developed Western European countries that have three-four times higher GDP per capita.
Croatia is in an excellent geographic position to serve as a regional hub for U.S. companies. Zagreb, its capital, is only about a four-hour drive away to Vienna, Venice, Budapest, or Belgrade, and only a two-hour drive from the beautiful Adriatic coast. Croatia has excellent roads, sound ICT infrastructure, and a competitive white-collar workforce. The quality of life in Croatia is very high: it is a safe country, with tasty food, well-preserved nature, a mild climate, and abundant historical sites and other tourist attractions”.
SOURCES:
http://www.worldstopexports.com/croatias-top-10-exports/
https://www.great.gov.uk/markets/croatia/
https://www.companyformationcroatia.com/imports-and-exports-in-croatia