25/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - Eurostat announced on Wednesday 19 March that the euro area trade deficit grew to €10.7 billion in January. This unpleasant surprise was in part due to the increase in imported raw materials. One year earlier, in January 2007, the euro area trade balance showed a €7.3 billion deficit. Exports and imports rose by 7.4% between December 2007 and January 2008, Eurostat said. The first estimate for the January 2008 extra-EU27 trade balance was a deficit of €30.7 billion, compared with €26.0 billion in January 2007. In December 2007, the balance was -€17.6 billion, compared with -€10.0 billion in December 2006. In January 2008 compared with December 2007, seasonally adjusted exports rose by 6.2% and imports by 4.9%. (L.C.)