In the third quarter of 2009, output in the furniture industry shrank 36 per cent, showed a survey of
the Sofia Stock Exchange on the sector's development, released by the Bulgarian Industrial Association.

Fall for the first nine months of 2009 was 34.7 per cent.

Imports in the third quarter were down 44.1 from 2008. Exports declined 20.3 per cent during the same period. For the first nine months of 2009, imports fell by 31.4 per cent and exports by 23.3 per cent. Imports decreased 2.3 times more compared with exports, which translated into a trade surplus of over 10 million euro.

The bulk of furniture produced in Bulgaria is meant for export. Manufacturers who were surveyed sold some 17 per cent of their output on the domestic market during the third quarter of 2009.

In the third quarter of 2009, the output in the timber processing subsector fell by 35.9 per cent year-on-year, the
survey showed. The fall for the first three months was 40 per cent.