The 13-member eurozone registered an external trade surplus of 1.8 billion euros (2.4 billion U.S. dollars) in April this year, as compared with -2.7 billion (-3.6 billion dollars) a year before, Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU, reported Friday.

Meanwhile, the first estimate for the 27-member European Union (EU) reported an external trade deficit of 14.4 billion euros (19.3 billion dollars) in April, significantly lower than the deficit of 16.5 billion euros (22.1 billion dollars) in the same month a year ago, figures provided by Eurostat showed.

In March this year, the eurozone's external trade surplus stood at 7.6 billion euros (10.18 billion dollars), compared with 0.4 billion (0.54 billion dollars) a year ago. In April, the area's seasonally adjusted exports rose by 0.6 percent and imports by 2.2 percent over March this year.

For the whole EU, the external trade deficit in March dropped to 10.5 billion euros (14.07 billion dollars), lower than the 13.7 billion (18.36 billion dollars) a year ago. In April 2007 compared with March 2007, seasonally adjusted exports fell by 1.7 percent, while imports were up 0.1 percent.

The EU's trade with most of its major partners grew in the first quarter this year. The biggest increases were for exports to Russia, up 28 percent over the same period last year, and to India, up 18 percent.

The EU's trade surplus with the United States dropped in the first quarter this year to 18.5 billion euros (24.8 billion dollars) from 21.6 billion (28.9 billion dollars) one year ago.

Among the EU member states, Germany netted the largest trade surplus, with 48.5 billion euros (65.0 billion dollars) in the first quarter this year, followed by the Netherlands with 10.6 billion (14.2 billion dollars), and Ireland 7.1 billion (9.51 billion dollars). Britain suffered the biggest deficit with 33.7 billion euros (45.2 billion dollars), followed by Spain with 22.1 billion (29.6 billion dollars).

Source: Xinhua