Imports increased 0.8 percent from the previous month to EUR 45.2 billion in March, following an upwardly revised 1.5 percent fall in the prior month. Biggest rise were seen in purchases of aerospace products (16.1 percent), mainly from Germany and UK; agricultural products (3.3 percent), mostly from Spain, Morocco, and Norway. Other significant gains also recorded in works of art, technical documentation, publishing products (6.9 percent); electronic and optical products (4.7 percent); parfumes, cosmetics, cleaning products (3.2 percent); ships, trans, motorcycles (1.2 percent), and electrical and household equipment (0.7 percent).
Exports went up at a softer 0.4 percent to EUR 39.9 billion, compared with a donwardly revised 0.7 percent fall in February. Sales rose mostly for, pharmaceutical produtcs (19.1 percent); household equipment (6.5 percent); works of art, tecnical documentation, publishing products (4.2 percent); parfumes, cosmetics, cleaning products (3.4 percent). Other increases were also seen in jewelry, toys and furniture (1.4 percent); textiles, leather (0.7 percent), and metallurgical and metallic products (0.1 percent).
