Euro Area Trade Balance Swings to Deficit in April

The Euro Area recorded a €1.0 billion trade deficit in April 2026, compared with a €8.7 billion surplus in April 2025 and missing market expectations of a €7.8 billion surplus. Exports of goods increased by 5.0% to €255.4 billion, while imports rose faster, climbing 9.3% to €256.4 billion. The latest data represents a deterioration of €9.7 billion and marks a decline from the €4.9 billion surplus recorded in March 2026. The weaker balance was mainly driven by a widening energy deficit and a smaller surplus in the machinery and vehicles category. For the January to April 2026 period, the Euro Area posted a trade surplus of €12.9 billion, significantly below the €63.7 billion surplus recorded during the same period in 2025.

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.

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.