Euro area's trade surplus estimated at $11.48 bn in Apr 2025

Exports of goods totalled €243 billion for euro area, marking a 1.4 per cent decline compared to €246.5 billion in the same month last year. Imports from the rest of the world stood at €233.1 billion, a rise of 0.1 per cent compared with April 2024 €232.9 billion.

In April 2025, the euro area balance declined significantly compared to March 2025, with the total surplus dropping from €37.3 billion to €9.9 billion. This decrease was mainly driven by a substantial reduction in the surplus of the chemicals sector, which fell from €42.8 billion to €22.1 billion.

However, when compared to April 2024, the drop of euro area balance appears more moderate (down by €3.7 billion). This year-over-year (YoY) decrease is largely attributable to the lower surplus in the ‘machineries & vehicles’ sector, which declined from €16.8 billion to €12.8 billion. The deficit of energy products showed a modest improvement of €0.5 billion compared to the same month of the previous year.

In January to April 2025, the euro area recorded a surplus of €71 billion, compared with €68.6 billion in January-April 2024.

Between January and April 2025, euro area exports of goods to the rest of the world rose to €1,004.9 billion, marking a 5.5 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024, while imports grew by 5.6 per cent to €933.9 billion. Intra-euro area trade also saw a modest rise, reaching €878.9 billion, up by 0.8 per cent YoY.

In April 2025, extra-EU goods exports amounted to €218.2 billion, a decline of 1.9 per cent from €222.4 billion in April 2024. Imports from non-EU countries rose slightly by 0.5 per cent, reaching €210.7 billion compared to €209.7 billion a year earlier.

The EU balance declined to €7.4 billion in April 2025, down significantly from €35.5 billion in March 2025. This drop was primarily driven by the contraction of the chemicals sector surplus, which fell from €41.6 billion to €20.4 billion—a reduction of over 50 per cent.

However, compared to April 2024, when the total surplus was €12.8 billion, the decrease was more modest, amounting to €5.4 billion. The YoY decline is largely attributable to the balance of the ‘machineries & vehicles’ sector, which dropped from €21 billion in April 2024 to €15.2 billion in April 2025.

In January to April 2025, the EU recorded a surplus of €58.9 billion, compared with €63.7 billion in January-April 2024.

From January to April 2025, extra-EU exports of goods increased to €908.5 billion, up 6.4 per cent compared to the same period in 2024. Imports also rose by 7.5 per cent, reaching €849.6 billion. Intra-EU trade climbed to €1,379.5 billion, reflecting a 0.9 per cent rise over January—April 2024.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (SG)