The increase in exports has kept the ports of the Baltic states busy this year. Photo by Liftarn.

RIGA — The Baltic states have seen some of the largest increase in exports in the European Union during the first five months of 2010 according to the latest figures from Eurostat.

Estonia has the second-highest increase in the EU at 26 percent, while Latvia and Lithuania were tied in fourth at 22 percent, a testament to the economic recovery of the country’s primary trade partners such as Russia, Germany and Sweden. The Mediterranean island nation of Malta had the largest increase of exports at 35 percent.

The recovery of the Baltic states’ export industries has done little to spur large-scale job growth after the countries were hammered by the economic crisis. Unemployment remains stubbornly high and domestic demand weak in all three countries despite the improving gross domestic product numbers.

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