The trade balance of the euro zone showed a larger surplus than expected in June due to lower imports. Seasonally adjusted, there was a plus of 12.5 billion euros, as the statistics office Eurostat announced on Thursday in Luxembourg. Economists had expected a surplus of 4.0 billion euros. A slight surplus of 0.2 billion euros was posted in May.
The surplus in June can be explained by lower imports. These fell by 5.6 percent compared to the previous month. Exports fell 0.5 percent.
The development in the 27 countries of the European Union (EU) was similar to that in the 20 euro countries. The balance of trade is the difference between exports and imports. As a rule, the euro zone and the EU record surpluses in foreign trade. (dpa)