The first estimate for the eurozone trade balance with the rest of the world in September 2006 registered a surplus of 2 billion euros (around 2.54 billion U.S. dollars), Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), said on Friday.

According to Eurostat, the eurozone's trade surplus was 1.3 billion euros (1.65 billion dollars) in September 2005.

In August 2006, however, the eurozone saw a trade deficit of 5.4 billion euros (around 6.9 billion dollars) compared with a deficit of 2.9 billion euros (3.68 billion dollars) a year ago.

In September 2006, compared with the previous month, exports of the euro zone, seasonally adjusted, rose by 2.0 percent while imports fell by 0.1 percent, Eurostat said.

For the EU as a whole (EU25), however, the first estimate for September 2006, extra-EU25 trade saw a deficit of 13.4 billion euros (around 17 billion dollars) compared with a deficit of 9.5 billion euros (around 12 billion dollars) in September 2005.

In September 2006, compared with August 2006, exports of the EU25, seasonally adjusted, rose by 1.6 percent while imports fell by 1.7 percent.

Source: Xinhua