Trade Surplus Lower In March

Seasonally adjusted exports decreased by 4% to €6,770 million between February and March 2010, while imports increased by 8% to €3,830 million.

On an unadjusted basis, the value of exports in March 2010 fell by 5% compared with March 2009, while imports were down 8%.

An analysis of trends between the first two months of 2009 and 2010 shows that exports decreased by 5% from €13,958 million to €13,245 million, while imports fell by 15%, from €8,041 million to €6,866 million.

Goods to Great Britain decreased by 15% and to France by 17%, while exports to Spain increased by 7% and to China by 8%.

Goods from the United States decreased by 25%, from China by 40% and from Great Britain by 9% and imports from Switzerland increased by 138% and from Singapore by 24%.