The euro area trade surplus with the rest of the world narrowed to €1.0 billion in August 2025, compared with €3.0 billion in the corresponding month a year earlier, new data from Eurostat has found.
The month-on-month decline in trade surplus was even more pronounced, with the July 2025 trade surplus standing at €12.7 billion. This fall was mainly linked to the supply of machinery and vehicles, which fell from €18.0 billion in July 2025 to €7.8 billion a month later.
Exports from the euro area to the rest of the world totalled €205.9 billion in August, down 4.7% from €216.0 billion in the corresponding month a year earlier. Imports totalled €204.9 billion, a 3.8% decline on August 2024, when the euro area imported €213 billion.
Euro area trade balance
Compared to August 2024, the euro area trade balance declined by €2.0 billion, which was largely due to a decline in the supply of chemicals, which fell from €22.9 billion in August 2024 to €18.0 billion in August 2025. A decline in the balance of machinery and vehicles was also recorded, from €9.0 billion in August 2024 to €7.8 billion in August 2025.
Looking at January to August as a whole, exports rose 2.6% to €1,945.2 billion, while imports increased 3.7% to €1,838.1 billion. Intra-euro trade was up 1.4% in the January to August period, to €1,730.6 billion.
During the first eight months of the year, the euro area recorded a total trade surplus of €107.1 billion, compared with €123.3 billion in the corresponding period in 2024.
EU trade balance
Looking at the European Union as a whole, the trade balance reported a deficit of €5.8 billion in August 2025, compared with a deficit of €2.4 billion in August 2024. Compared with July 2025, the trade balance fell from a surplus of €11.4 billion to a deficit of €5.8 billion.
‘This significant downturn was primarily due to a substantial decrease in the surplus for machinery and vehicles, which fell from €20.7 billion in July 2025 to €7.2 billon in August 2025,’ Eurostat noted. ‘Additionally, the deficit in other manufactured goods widened from -€3.2 billion to -€6.8 billion over the same period.’
Exports to non-EU countries totalled €183.6 billion, down 6.7% from the previous year, while imports came in at €189.4 billion, a 4.9% decline.
On a country-by-country basis, exports from the EU to the United States fell by 22.2%, with imports declining by 1.9%. Trade with China was also down, with exports falling 11.3% and imports declining 7.1%.
The EU’s largest trade deficit was recorded with China, at €28.8 billion, while its largest surplus was with the United Kingdom, at €13.4 billion. Read more here.
