22/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - According to Eurostat estimates for December 2001, the euro zone recorded a surplus in external trade of 9.7 billion euro with the rest of the world (up on the 7 billion euro surplus in November 2001), compared to a deficit of 0.7 billion in December 2000. The EU15 saw a surplus of 1.7 billion euro in December (0.2 billion in November, whereas it had a 7.9 billion deficit in November 2000). In 2001, trade in the euro zone recorded a surplus of 49.6 billion euro (against 5.1 billion euro in 2000), whereas the EU15 recorded a deficit of 45.4 billion euro (91 billion euro in 2000). According to Eurostat, from January to December 2001: - Germany recorded the highest surplus (78.9 billion euro), followed by Ireland (33.8 billion), whereas the United Kingdom recorded the highest deficit (61 billion), ahead of Spain (deficit of 33.8 billion euro); - the deficit in the field of energy stabilised (108.7 billion euro); trade with the United States enabled the EU to record a greater surplus (40.3 billion euro fir January-December 2001, compared to 31.8 billion euro for January-December 2000); - trade with Japan saw a fall in the deficit for the EU (that went to 29.2 billion euro compared to a deficit of 38.9 billion in 2000).