22/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - Current account deficit in the first quarter. According to the latest data made available by Eurostat, the EU27 external current account recorded a deficit of €38.8 billion in the first quarter of 2011, compared with a deficit of €27.7 billion in the first quarter of 2010 and a deficit of €20.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010. Though the deficit of the goods account increased by almost €15 billion compared with the first quarter of 2010 (€46.5 billion compared with €32.6 billion), the surplus of the services account also rose (€16.9 billion compared with €11.5 billion). In the first quarter of 2011, the EU27 external current account recorded a surplus with the USA (€14.0 billion), Switzerland (€11.6 billion), Hong Kong (€5.5 billion), Brazil (€3.6 billion), Canada (€2.7 billion) and India (€1.0 billion), and a deficit with China (€32.9 billion), Russia (€18.9 billion) and Japan (€8.1 billion). Financial account: the EU27 made direct investments abroad of €71.2 billion in the first quarter, compared with €38.7 billion in the same quarter of 2010. Foreign direct investors made investments in the EU27 of €63.5 billion, compared with €10.8 billion in the same quarter of 2010. Portfolio investments recorded a net inflow of €67.5 billion, compared with €93.9 billion in the first quarter of 2010. (E.H./transl.rt)