Área Euro Balança Comercial

The Euro Area posted a trade surplus of EUR 13.9 billion in May 2024, below market expectations of EUR 18 billion and compared with a EUR 0.4 billion gap last year. Imports tumbled by 6.4% to EUR 227.6 billion, while exports decreased at a much softer 0.5% to EUR 241.5 billion. Also, the EU posted a trade surplus of EUR 9.7 billion in May, after a EUR 2.6 billion deficit in May 2023. Imports declined by 6.2% to EUR 206.5 billion, mainly due to a fall in machinery & vehicles (-9.2%), energy products (-5.7%), chemicals (-3%) and raw materials (-6.4%). Among major trading partners, purchases dropped from China (-8.7%), the UK and Switzerland (-14%), but increased from the US (+4.9%). Meanwhile, exports went down 0.6% to EUR 216.3 billion, as a decline in sales of machinery & vehicles (-7.7%) more than offset higher sales of chemicals (+10.5%), food & drink (+1.2%), energy (+2.3%) and raw materials (+7%). Exports rose to the US (+6.8%) but fell to the UK (-0.5%) and China (-5.3%).