EU trade surplus shrinks 60% as US exports slide
EU trade surplus shrank 60% in February as exports fell 9.3% year-on-year, led by a 26.4% drop in shipments to the US.
Atlas Newsdesk ·
The European Union’s trade surplus with the rest of the world narrowed sharply in February, falling by 60%, according to figures released by Eurostat on Friday, April 17. The change was linked mainly to a steep drop in EU exports to the United States, which was the largest decline among the EU’s major trading relationships cited in the release.
Eurostat reported that total EU exports in February were 9.3% lower than a year earlier. Over the same period, imports into the EU also declined, down 3.5% year-on-year, indicating a broad cooling in cross-border goods flows rather than a one-sided shift.
The most pronounced export contraction was recorded in trade with the United States. EU exports to the U.S. fell by 26.4% in February compared with the prior year, Eurostat said. Imports from the U.S. also moved lower, declining by 3.2%.
Eurostat also noted that EU exports to China decreased in February, adding to the overall export weakness. The data did not attribute the China decline to a specific single factor in the release, but it was presented alongside the broader fall in EU exports.
The February outcome followed an earlier surge in shipments tied to tariff expectations. In February 2025, EU exporters increased deliveries to the U.S. by 22.4% year-on-year as companies moved goods ahead of anticipated U.S. import tariffs, according to the same account of developments.
Policy changes in the United States were also part of the backdrop described. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down previous tariffs on February 20, but new temporary global import levies were introduced shortly afterward. Plans were also outlined to rebuild tariffs that would mirror those previously agreed upon with the EU.
For markets and policymakers, the combination of weaker exports and shifting tariff settings is closely watched because it can affect corporate revenues, supply-chain planning, and trade-sensitive sectors across the EU. The figures also highlight uncertainty around the durability of trade flows when companies adjust shipment timing in response to expected policy moves, which can amplify month-to-month volatility in headline trade balances.