The Insurance Supervision Department of the Financial Supervision Commission publishes data on the persons ex officio assigned to the supplementary mandatory pension insurance funds in 2025. Ex officio assigned are persons for whom the obligation to insure themselves in a universal or professional pension fund has arisen and who have not submitted an application for participation within the deadlines provided for this or have submitted applications for participation in more than one fund of the respective type. In 2025, a total of 103,750 persons were ex officio assigned to the supplementary mandatory pension insurance funds, of which 93,858 persons in the universal funds and 9,892 persons in the professional funds. Ex officio assigned persons in 2025 constitute 88.76 percent of the total number of persons admitted (from newly accepted applications and ex officio assigned) to the universal funds and 88.04 percent in the professional ones.

Bulgaria's trade deficit in January this year increased by 5.44% year-on-year and reached 1.046 billion euros, preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI) show. In January, Bulgarian goods exported were worth 3.327 billion euros, which is 1.4% less than a year earlier. In January, goods worth 4.373 billion euros were imported into the country, or 0.1% more than the same month last year. In trade with European Union countries, goods worth 2.314 billion leva were exported in January, and imports amounted to more than 2.328 billion leva, resulting in a deficit of 14 million leva. In January, exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries decreased by 9% year-on-year and amounted to 1.012 billion euros. Bulgaria's main trading partners are Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Ukraine and Algeria, which account for 47.4% of exports to third countries. In exports distributed according to the Standard Foreign Trade Classification, the largest growth was recorded in the sector "Fats, oils and waxes of animal and vegetable origin" (175%). The largest decrease was observed in the sector "Mineral fuels, oils and similar products" (72.4%). Imports of goods into Bulgaria from third countries in January increased by 5.3% on an annual basis and amounted to EUR 2.044 billion. The largest value volume of goods imported from Turkey, China, Brazil and Ukraine. In imports distributed according to the Standard Foreign Trade Classification, the largest increase was recorded in the sector "Machinery, equipment and vehicles" (57.7%). The largest decrease was observed in the sector "Fats, oils and waxes of animal and vegetable origin" (46.5%). Bulgaria's foreign trade balance with third countries for January 2026 is in the negative by 1.031 billion euros.

The turnover from gambling in Bulgaria for 2023 is 44 billion leva, having increased to 55 billion leva in 2024 and 66 billion leva in 2025. This is according to official data from the National Revenue Agency. The 44 billion leva (which has increased by 50% to 66 billion leva in two years) is the total amount of bets made in legal online gambling games in our country. Since the vast majority of the funds are returned to the players in the form of winnings and the amounts are bet again, the billions are actually multiple turnovers of the same real money. However, the state currently does not know what the real amount is that comes in and goes out of online games, because there is no legal text requiring the collection of such information. From the data of the National Revenue Agency it is clear that of the 44 billion leva in 2023, 43 billion leva were paid out to the participants as winnings. That is, the difference of 1 billion leva remained in the gambling operators, on which the due gambling tax (20%) was paid. The situation is similar in 2025, when online bets made were 66.9 billion leva, and winnings paid out – 65.3 billion leva. That is, gambling tax was paid on the difference of 1.6 billion leva. There is also a serious increase in turnover in land-based gambling, although the volumes are significantly smaller. From 384 million leva in 2023, land-based bets jump to 686 million leva in 2024 and to 1.06 billion leva in 2025. The NRA collects information on bets and winnings in real time thanks to data exchange and direct connection with the revenue agency's servers. According to unofficial information, the number of people who gamble in our country is about 1.4 million people (excluding participants in the state toto and lottery).

As of December 31, 2025, 23 banks operate in the banking sector of Bulgaria, 6 of which are branches of foreign credit institutions. In January 2026, Bulgarian-American Credit Bank AD (BACB) finalized the acquisition of Tokuda Bank AD. On February 13 of this year, the European Central Bank issued approval for the acquisition by the private equity fund Advent International (through its subsidiary Bago (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l.) of a majority stake in TBI Bank EAD from 4finance Holding S.A. The deal was finalized on March 2, 2026. Total assets of the banking system as of December 31, 2025 amounted to EUR 116.1 billion, recording an increase of 8.07% compared to September 30, 2025. The share of the five largest banks based on total assets in the banking system amounted to 76.30% as of December 31, 2025, with no change in their positions compared to September 30 of the same year. United Bulgarian Bank AD retains the leading position with assets of EUR 22.8 billion or 19.60% market share, marking a growth of 6.34% in assets compared to September 30, 2025. DSK Bank AD retains second position with 18.93% market share and growth in assets of 9.07% compared to the end of the first nine months of 2025. UniCredit Bulbank AD remains in third position with a market share of 18.07% and growth in assets of 5.96% compared to September 30, 2025. The fourth and fifth positions are occupied, respectively, by Eurobank Bulgaria AD and First Investment Bank AD. The net profit of the banking system recorded a decrease of 1.81%, reaching EUR 1.9 billion for 2025. DSK Bank AD again occupies the top position with a profit of EUR 513 million or a 27.65% share of the sector's profits for last year, reporting a profit growth of 2.76% compared to the same period in 2024. UniCredit Bulbank AD is in second position in terms of profit share in the sector, namely 24.89%, reporting a decrease of 4.65% and registering a profit of EUR 462 million for 2025 compared to EUR 484 million for 2024. United Bulgarian Bank AD recorded a 1.15% decrease in its profit compared to the same period in 2024, reaching EUR 251 million for 2025 and remaining in third position with a 13.52% share in the sector's profits. Eurobank Bulgaria AD retained the fourth position with a profit of EUR 227 million and a market share of 12.23% for 2025, reporting a growth of 7.67% compared to the same period in 2024. In fifth position is First Investment Bank AD with a profit of EUR 84 million, recording a significant increase in its profit of 32.67% compared to the same period in 2024. Net fee and commission income (calculated on the basis of Fee and commission income - Fee and commission expense) for the sector for 2025 amounts to EUR 912 million, marking a growth of 10.11% compared to EUR 828 million for 2024. DSK Bank AD retains first position with a growth of 10.70%, reporting net fee and commission income of EUR 204 million for 2025. UniCredit Bulbank AD occupies the second position with net fee and commission income of EUR 178 million, representing 19.57% of total income in the sector, marking a growth of 10.68% compared to the previous year. In third position in terms of net income from fees and commissions for 2025 remains United Bulgarian Bank AD with income of EUR 160 million, marking an increase of 8.55% compared to the previous year. First Investment Bank AD remains in fourth position with net income from fees and commissions of EUR 89 million and a 5.73% increase compared to 2024. Fifth position continues to be occupied by Eurobank Bulgaria AD with net income from fees and commissions of EUR 78 million, marking an increase of 12.57% compared to 2024.

"VT Bulplast" (part of "Videoton Bulgaria") presented its renovated production base for the production of thermoplastic and thermosetting parts and tooling in Stara Zagora. The investment is for over 2.1 million euros and covers the complete renovation of a total area of ​​10,500 square meters. The improvements in the base include production halls, offices and a parking area, which will contribute to the additional optimization, automation and significantly increased efficiency of the processes in the production of plastic parts, as well as to improving the overall appearance of the group's industrial park. Currently, the plastic injection plant has the capacity to produce over 2,000 variations of thermoplastic parts intended for use in products with industrial and household applications of a number of global brands, as well as more than 600 types of thermosetting plastic parts for technical products. The number of jobs in this production is currently nearly 200. The production is focused on consumer electronics and industry and is intended for world-famous brands in these areas. The company works with over 15 leading companies, including the three largest global manufacturers of such parts - "Legrand", "Schneider" and "ABB". Last year, an investment of 2.4 million euros was presented in the electronics plant of "VEAS Bulgaria" EOOD". The funds for expanding capacity and implementing production solutions at the plant were implemented with the financial support of the Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA) under the project "Stimulating the Growth of Foreign Markets". "VIDEOTON Bulgaria" unites four companies - "VT DZU" AD, "VEAS Bulgaria" EOOD, "VIDEOTON Bulgarian Holdings" EOOD and "VT Bulplast" EOOD. The group is the successor of "DZU" - Stara Zagora and is part of the Hungarian "Videoton Holdings", one of the leading providers of electronics manufacturing services in Europe with over 8,500 employees, 1,300 of whom work at "VIDEOTON Bulgaria" in Stara Zagora.

The Cabinet of Ministers adopts two key decisions for a 5 percent increase in subsidies for extra-budgetary organizations that receive state funding. The decision affects strategic companies such as BDZ-Passenger Transport, National Railway Infrastructure Company, Bulgarian Posts, as well as the urban transport systems in all municipalities in the country. The total amount of the earmarked funds amounts to approximately 31.3 million euros. The amount is one-time and is within the framework of the current extension law on the budget. The funds are calculated to cover the increase in remuneration for the entire 12-month calendar year. With the voting of the acts by the Council of Ministers and their promulgation, the resource will be transferred directly to the municipalities and the relevant state-owned companies.

Shumen-based aluminum products manufacturer Alcomet has completed a key project from its 70 million euro investment program, which began in 2023. A new press has already been installed at the plant, with the first extrusion being made the day before. With its commissioning, the press production capacity reaches 45 thousand tons per year. The new equipment allows the company to produce more special products and significantly expand its product portfolio. The new 10-inch press was supplied by the Italian company Presezzi and uses a zero-pollution billet heating technology. It also has a combined water-air system for precise cooling of the profiles, as well as control systems that ensure that the process is strictly followed and quality is guaranteed. This is the sixth press at the plant, which adds 10 thousand tons of capacity. The new equipment allows the production of profiles with complex shapes and a maximum length of 14 thousand mm - a possibility that is being implemented at the enterprise for the first time. This significantly expands the technological capabilities and product portfolio of the company. The main application of these products, which have high added value, is in the automotive industry, as well as in solar parks and the construction sector. Almost all of Alcomet's production is traditionally for export. Another major project from the company's three-year investment program is nearing completion - the installation of a new rolling mill, which is expected to be completed soon. The expansion of the rolling production is also the main part of the investment, and according to initial data, over 30 million euros will be invested in it. This will increase the production capacity of foil products by about 40%. The program also provides for investments in the foundry workshops, which provide blanks for the press and rolling production. According to preliminary data, Alcomet's turnover for 2025 will increase by nearly 8% to 288.1 million euros.

The Bulgarian leader in global hydraulics, M+S Hydraulics, has been approved for financial assistance under the Just Transition Fund. The company will receive nearly 10 million 190 thousand euros in grants and will participate with co-financing of 8.4 million euros. The project is aimed entirely at implementing production investments in the company's newly built modern enterprise in Kazanlak. The construction of the new M+S Hydraulics enterprise in Kazanlak was recently completed. The investment in the construction and equipment of the new plant will reach 55 million leva. The company's new plant is expected to be among the most modern machine-building enterprises in Bulgaria. The project requires the employment of an additional 50 people. The new enterprise The production building of the new plant in Kazanlak has a total area of ​​just over 18 acres, and includes an administrative and household building with a total area of ​​716 sq m. In addition to them, additional buildings will be built on the property: a checkpoint, a shed for parking 46 bicycles, a parking lot for 60 cars, a shed for temporary storage of containers with technological waste. The Kazanlak Hydraulic Enterprise is a leading manufacturer of hydraulic motors, hydrostatic power steering, valves, brakes and accessories for them. It exports about 70% of its production to Europe. Exports to the USA are about 6% of total exports. Through its two subsidiaries - in Italy and Germany, M+S Hydraulic sells just over 25% of its production. For 2025, the Kazanlak enterprise M+S Hydraulic records a turnover growth of 6%. The new year 2026 is shaping up to be good so far. The first months of the year record a growth from the previous year of 8-9%.Divident.EU

An investor is ready to build a new plant for flexible joints and accessories for sanitary ware in Dobrich with a resource of 13,000,000 euros. The Bulgarian-Spanish company "Bulmat" from the "MATEU" group has filed a request to purchase a plot of land of 35,000 square meters in the business zone in Dobrich. The investor intends to create at least 100 jobs. The production base will be built in two stages over the next five years. In the first stage, 10,000 square meters will be built, investing 7,000,000 euros. According to the investment intentions, in the second stage, another 10,000-15,000 square meters will be built, spending another 6,000,000 euros. The requested site is in the former military unit in Dobrich, whose buildings and terrain the municipality received free of charge from the Ministry of Defense. A detailed development plan has been developed for the transformation of the property into a business zone. The plot for the future factory has already been valued by an expert at 1,228,000 leva. The Municipal Council is to make a decision on the sale of the property at a public auction at its upcoming meeting on March 25.

"Fantastico" has started the construction of a new shopping center, which will be the largest and most modern in the portfolio of the Bulgarian family chain. The investment in the project is worth €31.2 million. The modern complex will be located on Blvd. "Tsarigradsko Shosse" in Sofia and will be expanded with an area of ​​over 16,700 sq. m. Over 100 jobs will be created in the "Fantastico" supermarket. It is planned to build a photovoltaic installation on the entire roof of the building, as well as soundproofing all external technical units.

Elena Elenkova is the new CEO of Syscom Engineering AD. Elenkova has many years of management and sales experience in the company and has in-depth knowledge of the business, teams and key technological areas in which Syscom Engineering operates. Her professional profile combines expertise in business development, partnerships and management of complex projects in areas such as digital transformation, cybersecurity, telecommunications and smart city solutions.

The American giant Digital Realty has bought the Bulgarian company Telepoint. Digital Realty specializes in the acquisition and development of data centers, and the Bulgarian company has three of them - two in Sofia and one in Montana. Thus, in reality, the two largest independent operators of such facilities created by local investors - Telepoint and Equinix (Bulgaria) Data Centers, are American. The sole owner of the capital of the Bulgarian company is now Digital Netherlands Holding. Telepoint was founded in 2008 by Andon Zlatev, who is currently the manager of the company. In 2011, the majority share of the company was acquired by the Slovenian fund P&S Capital. Before the acquisition by Digital Realty, P&S Capital held a stake of about 76% in the company through its Luxembourg company P&S Growth, and minority shares were held by the companies Telehouse (owned by Andon Zlatev) and Boyar Invest. The company's two Sofia data centers were built in 2009 and 2018, and the one in Montana - in 2017. The three centers have a total capacity of 14.8 MW. Telepoint's revenues for 2024 are 12.1 million euros, and the profit - just over 3 million euros. The Bulgarian company employs 34 people by the end of 2025. The acquisition of Telepoint by Digital Realty is the entry into the Bulgarian market, which the American company finds particularly important, because over 200 unique networks and 340 separate points of connection to the network pass through Sofia, which ranks it among the leading markets in Southeast Europe in terms of Internet connectivity and traffic growth. Another important reason is the connection with other data centers that it already owns - such as those in Athens, Heraklion (on the island of Crete) and Zagreb. Additionally, the Bulgarian acquisition will optimize connectivity through Greek submarine cables connecting Europe and the Middle East, which pass overland through Sofia. The buyer, Digital Realty, is headquartered in Austin, Texas. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has a market capitalization of $60 billion. It was founded in 2004, when it bought 21 data centers from bankrupt companies through auctions. To date, it has over 300 data centers in 30 countries. Among the players on the Bulgarian market, it can only be compared to another American company - Equinix, which has two data centers in Sofia and a market capitalization of $90 billion. In early March, the American company Digital Realty announced that it had also acquired a 2.4 MW data center in Lisbon, Portugal, where submarine cables run, intertwining traffic between Europe, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The cost of shipping containers to Europe from China has soared in the past week as the war in the Middle East disrupts one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and extends delivery times, Bloomberg reported. According to data from the Drewry World Container Index, the spot price for a 40-foot container to Rotterdam from Shanghai rose 19% to $2,443 in the past week, the steepest weekly percentage increase since June 2025. The service from Shanghai to Genoa, Italy, jumped nearly 10% to $3,120. From Shanghai to Los Angeles, the price is 4.2% higher than a week earlier, reaching $2,503, Drewry data also showed. The world’s major container carriers have added contingency fees and fuel surcharges to their long-haul rates since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. Shipping lines have stopped passing through the Strait of Hormuz, limiting their access to Jebel Ali in Dubai, the busiest container port outside Asia, and are largely avoiding the Red Sea, choosing instead the longer route around South Africa.

The world’s largest LNG facility, located in Qatar, was shut down last week after being struck by Iranian drones. That created a huge opportunity for the fast-growing company Venture Global and its billionaire owners. Two of the biggest likely beneficiaries of this development in the war are Robert Pender and Mike Sabel, the co-founders of Venture Global, Forbes reports. Their company is about to become America’s largest exporter of LNG. Just four years after its first shipment, Venture Global is on track to export about half of what LNG pioneer Qatar will export this year, or about 40 million tons of LNG cooled to -260 degrees. That’s a huge amount, the energy equivalent of 16 billion gallons of gasoline, enough to fill 500 tankers to be transported around the world. The two billionaires, who own 80% of Venture Global, have already seen their fortunes jump nearly 29% to more than $12 billion each since the U.S. attacked Iran. (By comparison, shares of America’s largest LNG producer, Cheniere Energy, have risen 9% over the same period.) Over the past decade, Pender and Sabel have been exploring, designing, financing and building their two LNG megaprojects, which are now operational on the Louisiana coast at Calcasieu Pass on the Gulf Coast east of Beaumont and in Plaquemines Parish near New Orleans. The second, built at a cost of $23 billion on the west bank of the Mississippi, 55 miles upriver from the Gulf of Mexico, shipped its first cargo in late 2024. Despite having no experience in LNG, Sabel, an investment banker, and Pender, a Washington lawyer who has represented India, China, and Guyana in financing energy megaprojects (and is married to John F. Kennedy’s niece), saw a huge future demand for U.S. LNG exports. So in 2010, they came up with a plan to build LNG facilities that were bigger and faster than their competitors. While many older LNG plants can produce 5 million tons per year from each giant liquefaction “train,” VG decided to go with smaller trains built at a Baker Hughes plant. These units will produce only 700,000 tons per year, but they will be much larger. The Calcasieu Pass LNG project — the first to use these machines on a large scale — has 18 modules that produce 12 million tons per year. The second project, Plaquemines LNG, with 36 trains, is expected to reach a capacity of 28 million tons this year. VG, as it is often called, is already off to a strong start: Even before the latest developments, revenue for 2025 reached $13.6 billion, up from $7.9 billion in 2024. Net income reached $2.2 billion, up from $1.5 billion in 2024. VG’s growth plans call for doubling the size of each mining site. Another reason these founders are likely to win is their apparent willingness to annoy important customers. Even before they could finance the construction of these plants, VG had to find long-term “occupiers” who would agree to buy certain quantities of LNG for 20 years after the new plants were fully operational. Among those who signed up were oil giants Shell, BP and Chevron. But even after Calcasieu Pass began operating, Venture Global insisted on selling the product on the spot market for its own account, citing a lengthy “commissioning” process (pre-commercial LNG shipments must undergo final testing and safety inspections before they can be fully operational). Shell, BP and others filed arbitration claims in early 2023, seeking $8 billion in profits from 350 launch cargoes shipped from Calcasieu during record-high prices. Shell, which had sought $3.5 billion, lost both the arbitration and the appeal. BP, meanwhile, won the arbitration in October last year, meaning VG could be ordered to pay $3.7 billion in damages. The BP news sent VG’s stock down 50%, but it has since recovered by more than half that amount thanks to the war. Undaunted, Pender and Sabel have already shipped hundreds of pre-commercial cargoes from Plaquemines and expect hundreds more to be shipped before major oil customers start receiving promised deliveries. After all, economic conditions are currently extremely favorable for U.S. LNG exports, especially for companies like VG, which owns its own plants and tankers (nine in all). With an average profit of about $40 million per shipment, “everyone is going to try to get the most efficiency” out of their equipment, says Fear. “Venture Global is obviously going to be the biggest beneficiary of that.” Analysts estimate that for every additional dollar per mmbtu that VG can add to fees or realized prices this year, it will generate $600 million in additional EBITDA, or up to $8 billion in EBITDA, up from $6.3 billion last year. Compare that to Cheniere Energy, currently the largest U.S. LNG exporter, which has far fewer uncontracted cargoes this year and is likely to earn only an additional $50 million per dollar. Venture Global has contracted 70% of its expected 500 or so cargoes this year. And that despite the war-related uncertainty, they are not extending the Plaquemines commissioning deadline and intend to declare commercial operation within the contractually mandated “window” of the fourth quarter of 2026 for Plaquemines Phase 1 and mid-2027 for Phase 2. Venture Global is responsible for more than half of the new LNG capacity added globally in the past year, and knows that LNG buyers will have few other options until the Strait of Hormuz reopens. Pender and Sabel, who each took home more than $50 million in salaries, bonuses and dividends last year, are likely to enjoy a nice payday — some of which will likely go to supporting pro-LNG politicians like President Donald Trump, who overturned Joe Biden’s presidential pause on LNG. (Sabel visited Mar-a-Lago in 2024 and donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural campaign.) Otherwise, Sabel says they will continue to reinvest profits into the next $20 billion in expansion projects. If they keep up the pace of construction, by the time all the current projects are completed in a few years, Pender and Sabel will have 81 million tons of LNG capacity per year, more than even Qatar on a good day.

China has ordered an immediate ban on refined fuel exports in March as a precautionary measure against a potential domestic shortage due to the US-Israeli war against Iran, Reuters reported, citing four sources familiar with the matter. The ban was issued by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and covers shipments of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. The measure applies to cargoes that had not yet cleared customs as of March 11. The export restrictions go beyond Beijing's move last week to tell refiners not to sign new export contracts and to try to cancel already-agreed deliveries. Jet fuel, used to refuel planes at international aviation hubs, is not covered by the ban, two of the sources said. China's National Development and Reform Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. China is the world's largest oil importer and a major exporter of fuels. Traders said major Chinese oil companies planned to boost fuel exports in February and March to take advantage of higher profit margins amid a seasonal slowdown in domestic demand during the Lunar New Year holiday. Traders had previously forecast March fuel exports to reach between 2.2 million and 2.3 million tonnes of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel (excluding aviation bunkering), up 300,000 to 400,000 tonnes from February estimates. Data from ship tracking systems and trade sources show that so far in March, China has exported only about 50,000 metric tons of gasoline (approximately 422,500 barrels), 300,000 tons of diesel fuel (about 2.24 million barrels) and 300,000 tons of seaborne jet fuel (about 2.36 million barrels).