First estimates for the euro zone’s goods trade surplus in June was 16.8 billion euros (22.5 billion U.S. dollars), compared with 15.7 billion euros in June last year, the European Union (EU) statistics office Eurostat said Monday.
Compared with May 2014, seasonally-adjusted exports fell by 0.5 percent while imports rose by 0.5 percent.
The euro zone's trade surplus in May 2014 was 15.4 billion euros, compared with 14.6 billion euros in May 2013, according to Eurostat data.
The first estimates showed the EU trade surplus at 2.9 billion euros, compared with 8.6 billion euros surplus in June 2013.
From January to May 2014, highest increases in EU exports were registered with China (10 percent) and South Korea (8 percent), while imports increased most with South Korea (10 percent), Switzerland and Turkey (both 6 percent).
In the same period, the most notable decreases were recorded for exports to Switzerland (minus 22 percent), Russia (minus 12 percent), and India (minus 11 percent), and for imports from Russia (minus 8 percent), Brazil (minus 7 percent) and Japan (minus 6 percent).