The Eurozone’s trade surplus collapsed to €7.8 billion in March 2026, down from a record €34.1 billion a year earlier, as exports fell 5.5% to €265.3 billion. The decline follows last year’s peak, when US consumers rushed to boost foreign purchases ahead of tariffs introduced in April 2025. Exports declined sharply in chemicals (-31.9%), machinery and vehicles (-2.0%), and food and drink (-1.3%). Shipments to the US plunged 38.8%, while exports to China (-4.6%) and Turkey (-9.3%) also fell. Meanwhile, imports grew 4.4% to €257.4 billion, driven by higher purchases of fuels and lubricants (8.3%) and crude materials (5.8%) due to soaring energy costs tied to the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Imports of machinery and vehicles also climbed 6.8%. Nearly all major trade partners saw increased imports, led by Switzerland (11%), Norway (8.6%), Japan (8.9%), and Brazil (4.6%). For Q1 2026, the surplus shrank to €16.6 billion from €55.4 billion in the same period of 2025. source: EUROSTAT

Euro Area recorded a trade surplus of 7820.60 EUR Million in March of 2026. Balance of Trade in Euro Area averaged 5938.53 EUR Million from 1999 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 35483.00 EUR Million in March of 2025 and a record low of -54995.00 EUR Million in August of 2022. This page provides the latest reported value for - Euro Area Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Euro Area Balance of Trade - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on May of 2026.

Euro Area recorded a trade surplus of 7820.60 EUR Million in March of 2026. Balance of Trade in Euro Area is expected to be 5000.00 EUR Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Euro Area Balance of Trade is projected to trend around 11000.00 EUR Million in 2027 and 10000.00 EUR Million in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-04-17 09:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Feb €11.5B €-1B €11.7B €9.8B
2026-05-19 09:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Mar €7.8B €11.1B €5.4B €35.0B
2026-06-15 09:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Apr €7.8B


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade 7820.60 11123.60 EUR Million Mar 2026
Current Account to GDP 1.70 2.70 percent of GDP Dec 2025
Exports 265263.50 231770.20 EUR Million Mar 2026
Imports 257442.90 220646.60 EUR Million Mar 2026


Euro Area Balance of Trade
The Euro Area is one of the world’s biggest players in global trade. The bloc runs regular trade surpluses primarily due to the high export of manufactured goods such as machinery and vehicles. However, it is a net importer of energy and raw materials. Germany by far contributes the most to surplus followed by Netherlands, Ireland, and Italy. On the other hand, the deficits are constantly recorded in France and Spain. Still, in 2022, the block run the biggest trade deficit on record as the energy imports surged after the war in Ukraine forced the members to reduce energy imports from Russia and destabilized the energy markets. .
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
7820.60 11123.60 35483.00 -54995.00 1999 - 2026 EUR Million Monthly
NSA

News Stream
Eurozone Trade Surplus Plunges in March as Exports Slump
The Eurozone’s trade surplus collapsed to €7.8 billion in March 2026, down from a record €34.1 billion a year earlier, as exports fell 5.5% to €265.3 billion. The decline follows last year’s peak, when US consumers rushed to boost foreign purchases ahead of tariffs introduced in April 2025. Exports declined sharply in chemicals (-31.9%), machinery and vehicles (-2.0%), and food and drink (-1.3%). Shipments to the US plunged 38.8%, while exports to China (-4.6%) and Turkey (-9.3%) also fell. Meanwhile, imports grew 4.4% to €257.4 billion, driven by higher purchases of fuels and lubricants (8.3%) and crude materials (5.8%) due to soaring energy costs tied to the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Imports of machinery and vehicles also climbed 6.8%. Nearly all major trade partners saw increased imports, led by Switzerland (11%), Norway (8.6%), Japan (8.9%), and Brazil (4.6%). For Q1 2026, the surplus shrank to €16.6 billion from €55.4 billion in the same period of 2025.
2026-05-19
Euro Area Trade Surplus Narrows More than Expected
The Euro Area trade surplus narrowed to €11.5 billion in February 2026 from €23.1 billion a year earlier, slightly below expectations of €11.7 billion. Exports fell 6.7% year on year to €232.4 billion, while imports declined 2.2% to €220.9 billion, reducing the surplus by €11.6 billion. The chemicals sector saw a sharp drop in its surplus to €16.2 billion from €30.4 billion, while machinery and vehicles also weakened, with the surplus falling to €10.2 billion from €14.2 billion. In contrast, the energy deficit improved to €20.0 billion from €25.2 billion. Over the first two months of 2026, the Euro Area posted a cumulative surplus of €10.6 billion, down from €21.8 billion in the same period last year.
2026-04-17
Euro Area Trade Gap Widens in January
Euro Area trade deficit widened to €1.9 billion in January 2026 from €1.4 billion a year earlier, missing market expectations for a €12.8 billion surplus. Exports declined 7.6% year on year to €215.3 billion while imports decreased 7.3% to €217.2 billion, increasing the overall deficit by €0.5 billion. The decline was driven primarily by a sharp decline in chemicals and related products, where the surplus narrowed from €24.6 billion in January 2025 to €16.7 billion in January 2026. The machinery and vehicles sector also weakened, with its surplus shrinking from €5.6 billion to €1.6 billion over the same period. In contrast, the energy sector showed notable improvement, as its deficit decreased from €26.2 billion to €19.2 billion.
2026-03-20