The euro area had a trade surplus of €15.5 billion with the rest of the world in December 2024, new data from Eurostat has found.
This compares to a €16.4 billion surplus in December 2023, and was down from €16.0 billion on a month-on-month basis.
Exports from the euro area to the rest of the world totalled €226.5 billion in December 2024, a 3.1% increase compared to the corresponding month a year earlier, while imports to the bloc from the rest of the world stood at €211 billion, a 3.8% increase, year-on-year.
Product groups
When looking at the euro area balance by product group, chemicals and related products accounted for the largest surplus, of €20.6 billion in December 2024, with machineries and vehicles valued at €16.7 billion. A number of categories also showed a deficit, with energy (-€24.9 billion) the most pronounced of these.
The total trade surplus for 2024 reached €176.9 billion, a significant rise on the €57.4 billion reported in 2023.
The value of exports of goods to the rest of the world rose to €2,864.0 billion for the year, an increase of 0.6% compared with 2023, while imports fell to €2,687.0 billion, a decrease of 3.7% compared with 2023, the data showed.
EU trade performance
Taking the EU as a whole, the bloc reported a €16.3 billion trade surplus in December 2024, up slightly from €16.1 billion in December 2023.
For the full year, the EU’s trade surplus stood at €150.1 billion, up from €34.4 billion in 2023.
In December 2024, the EU held a €15.4 billion surplus with the United States, a €10.7 billion surplus with the UK, and a €23.6 billion deficit with China, according to the Eurostat data. Read more here.
Euro area trade in goods surplus €15.5 bn in December 2024, €16.3 bn surplus for EU https://t.co/oKkeA9HAA7 pic.twitter.com/VwM53ymeGM
— EU_Eurostat (@EU_Eurostat) February 17, 2025
