Brussels, 16/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - The latest figures published by the European statistical office Eurostat on Monday 15 February show that according to initial estimates for December 2015, the EU recorded a trade surplus of €64.2 billion in 2015 (up by 383% compared with 2014).
The clear surplus recorded by the EU28 over 12 months in 2015 can be explained in particular by good results in December, when the EU posted a surplus of €20.5 billion (while the eurozone recorded a surplus of €24.3 billion).
In total, the EU's exports of goods to the rest of the world stood at €1.7891 trillion in 2015 (+5% compared with 2014) and its imports of goods stood at €1.7249 trillion (+2% compared with 2014). The EU28 consequently recorded a surplus of €64.2 billion compared with +€13.3 billion in 2014.
Exports of goods from the eurozone to the rest of the world stood at €2.0402 trillion (+5% compared with 2014) and its imports of goods increased to €1.7942 trillion (+2% compared with 2014). Consequently, the eurozone recorded a surplus of €246 billion compared with +€184.3 billion in 2014.
At the end of 2015, the EU's main trading partners remained the USA and China by a long way. Over a year, the EU's trade surplus with regard to the USA advanced by 18% (€123.3 billion in 2015 compared with €104.5 billion in 2014) whilst its deficit with regard to China widened by 30% (-€179.9 billion in 2015 compared with -€137.5 billion in 2014).
The clear rise in the trade surpluses of the EU28 and eurozone can also be explained by a distinct reduction in the energy bill. The EU's trade deficit in energy fell by 27.5% (-€243.5 billion in 2015 compared with -€335.8 billion in 2014), reflecting the fall in oil and gas prices. Imports from Russia, the EU's main supplier in energy, fell by 25% compared with 2014, whilst exports to this country also dived by 28%. The trade deficit with Norway, the EU's second biggest energy supplier, went from -€34.9 billion to -€25.4 billion).
Germany remains the top European exporter with its trade surplus standing at €251.9 billion (compared with €216.5 billion in 2014) including €179.5 billion from extra-EU trade France's trade deficit went down slightly, from -€72.4 billion to -€60.2 billion, while the UK recorded a bigger trade deficit, which widened from -€139.5 billion to -€149.5 billion. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)
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