Euro area posts €12.6bn trade surplus in December

Eurostat this week reported that the euro area balance in trade in goods posted a €12.6 billion surplus in December 2025, compared with a surplus of €13.9 billion in December 2024.

The first estimates showed that euro area exports of goods to the rest of the world reached €234.0 billion in December 2025, representing an increase of 3.4 per cent compared with December 2024, when exports totalled €226.3 billion.

At the same time, imports from the rest of the world stood at €221.3 billion in December 2025, marking a rise of 4.2 per cent compared with €212.4 billion in December 2024.

Compared with November 2025, the overall euro area trade surplus increased to €12.6 billion in December 2025.

However, when measured against December 2024, the euro area balance decreased by €1.3 billion.

This shift was attributed to declines in surplus across key sectors, particularly in chemicals and related products.

In the chemicals and related products sector, the surplus fell from €20.2 billion in December 2024 to €16.5 billion in December 2025.

Surpluses also decreased in the sectors of machineries and vehicles, other manufactured goods, and raw materials.

By contrast, the energy sector deficit narrowed, with the shortfall improving from €-24.5 billion in December 2024 to €-19.1 billion in December 2025.

For the full year from January to December 2025, the euro area recorded a trade surplus of €164.6 billion, compared with €168.9 billion in the January to December period of 2024.

Over the same twelve-month period, euro area exports of goods to the rest of the world rose to €2.94 trillion, representing an increase of 2.4 per cent compared with January to December 2024.

Imports during January to December 2025 climbed to €2.77 trillion, marking a 2.7 per cent increase compared with the corresponding period of 2024.

Meanwhile, intra-euro area trade reached €2.63 trillion in January to December 2025, up by 2.0 per cent compared with January to December 2024.