The European Union has reported a trade surplus of €23 billion for the month of February, up from €21.8 billion in the same month the previous year.
Exports from the EU totalled €225.4 billion, a 7.0% increase, while imports to the bloc came in at €202.4 billion, a 7.2% gain.
According to the Eurostat data, the February performance marks a sharp turnaround from a deficit of €5.6 billion that was reported in January.
Sector by sector
On a sector-by-sector basis, the Chemicals sector saw a significant increase in surplus, with the balance jumping from €17.3 billion in February 2024 to €28.6 billion in February 2025. At the same time, Machinery & Vehicles saw its balance fall from €23.7 billion to €19.4 billion, while Other Manufactured Goods dropped from a €2.6 billion surplus to a €0.6 billion deficit.
Over the first two months of 2025, the EU recorded a cumulative surplus of €17.4 billion, down from €28.5 billion a year earlier.
In terms of the key trading partners for the bloc, EU exports to the United States rose 22.4% to stand at €51.8 billion, equating to a trade surplus of €23.6 billion.
EU exports to China remained nearly flat, however, while imports rose 13.3% to €43.2 billion, widening the trade deficit to €26.1 billion. Exports to the UK were also relatively flat, with imports dropping 4.4%.
Of the other core trading partners with the EU, Switzerland saw a notable increase in exports, rising 34.8% to €20.9 billion, and pushing the surplus to €8.4 billion. Elsewhere, exports to Japan were up 12.7%, while imports from South Korea rose by 21.0%.
Euro area surplus
With regard to the euro area, in February 2025, it recorded a trade surplus of €24.0 billion in goods, up from €21.7 billion in February 2024. Exports totalled €248.7 billion, a 6.2% increase year-on-year, while imports rose 5.7% to €224.7 billion.
In January, the euro area reported a trade surplus of just €0.8 billion. Read more here.
