Greece Trade Deficit Narrows

The Greek trade deficit narrowed to €2.2 billion in March of 2026 from €3.0 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year, the lowest for the month since 2021. Exports soared by 25% from the previous year to €4.9 billion, the highest since August of 2022, amid surges in sales to the EU (26.5% to €2.9 billion) and sales to third countries (€22.8% to 2.1 billion). The surge in exports took place despite a tepid month for the global shipping industry as tankers and commercial vessels were unable to take deliveries from the Persian Gulf amid the war in the region. Meanwhile, imports inched higher by 0.2% to €7.2 billion.

The trade deficit in Greece narrowed to EUR 2.80 billion in January 2026, down from a revised EUR 2.83 billion recorded in the same month a year earlier, even as both exports and imports posted declines. Exports fell 11.9% year-on-year to EUR 3.6 billion, largely weighed down by decreased sales to EU countries (-2.2%), and to third countries (-23.6%). At the same time, imports declined by 7.4% to EUR 6.4 billion, reflecting lower purchases from the EU (-5.3%), and from third countries (-9.5%).

The trade deficit in Greece widened slightly to EUR 3.6 billion in December 2025 from a revised EUR 3.5 billion in the same month a year ago. This was the largest trade gap since November 2022, as imports rose more than exports. Imports grew by 1.5% year-on-year to EUR 7.7 billion, driven mainly by increased purchases from the EU (9.1%), which more than offset a drop in imports from third countries (-7.9%). Meanwhile, exports increased by 0.7% to EUR 4.1 billion due to higher sales to the EU (11.8%), while shipments to the third countries declined (-11.5%). For the whole year of 2025, the country's trade gap narrowed to EUR 33.5 billion from EUR 35.6 billion in 2024, with exports (-2.8%) falling less than imports (-4.1%).