Strong export growth has helped the bloc maintain a trade surplus, although it fell to €12.6 billion in December from €13.9 billion in December 2024.
According to Eurostat data cited by Euronews, eurozone exports reached 234 billion euros in December, up 3.4 percent year-on-year (226.3 billion euros a year earlier).
At the same time, imports rose 4.2% to 221.3 billion euros. As a result, the surplus was maintained, although it shrank compared to the end of 2024.
The annual surplus held above €160 billion
Overall, the euro area maintained its foreign trade position in 2025.
From January to December 2025, the bloc recorded a trade surplus of €164.6 billion, slightly below the €168.9 billion level for the same period in 2024.
Annual exports rose to €2,937.9 billion, up 2.4% from 2024, while imports rose 2.7% to €2,773.3 billion. Intra-eurozone trade also expanded, with intra-union trade reaching €2,627.6 billion, adding 2.0% in annual terms.
Sectoral shifts change the structure of the balance sheet
The structure of the surplus changed as it weakened in a number of the euro area’s traditional industrial flagships. Most notably in the chemicals and allied products sector, where the surplus declined from €20.2 billion in December 2024 to €16.5 billion in December 2025.
The surpluses in machinery and vehicles, other industrial goods and raw materials also decreased.
Energy, on the other hand, turned positive. Eurostat notes that “the situation in the energy sector has improved, with the deficit decreasing from €24.5 billion in December 2024 to €19.1 billion in December 2025.”
The overall picture for the EU is also positive
On the scale of the EU, the picture was similar. The EU recorded a surplus of €12.9 billion in December 2025, compared to €14.2 billion a year earlier.
Exports from the EU to non-EU countries rose to €214.8 billion in December, adding 2.2% year-on-year, while imports increased by 3.0% to €201.9 billion.
On a full-year basis, the EU surplus totaled €133.5 billion, down slightly from €140.6 billion in 2024.
Despite the moderate decline in the figures, the data show a broadly stable trade dynamic, with exports continuing to grow until the very end of the year and the bloc still maintaining an external surplus.
