The eurozone countries chalked up a trade surplus of 28.3 billion euros (41.5 billion dollars) in 2007 despite record strength of the euro last year, first official EU estimate showed on Friday.
The surplus marked a sharp improvement from 2006 when the trade balance of the countries sharing the euro showed a deficit of 9.3 billion euros, figures from the European Union's data agency showed. The improvement in the zone's trade balance came as the euro marched steadily higher on currency markets, rising in November to a record high just shy of 1.50 dollars.
However, in December the single currency bloc recorded a trade deficit of 4.2 billion euros, down from a surplus of 3.0 billion euros in November and 2.4 billion euros in December 2006. The result fell short of analysts expectations for the eurozone's trade account to be in balance, as polled by Thomson Financial. Meanwhile, the 27-nation EU recorded a trade deficit of 185.7 billion euros last year, compared with a deficit of 192.1 billion euros in 2006, Eurostat said.