Italy’s foreign trade surplus increased in February from a year ago, as exports rose faster than imports, figures from the statistical office Istat showed Thursday.
The trade surplus climbed to EUR 3.5 billion in February from EUR 2.7 billion in the same month last year. In January, the surplus was EUR 232 million.
Total exports of the country grew 3.7 percent annually in February, reversing a 4.2 percent sharp decline in the prior month. Similarly,imports rose 1.0 percent in February, in contrast to a 4.2 percent fall in January.
On a monthly basis, both exports and imports increased 2.5 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively in February.
Shipments to the EU countries rose 0.8 percent in February from the previous month and those to Outside EU advanced notably by 4.5 percent.
The trade surplus with EU countries totaled EUR 691 million Versus EUR 1.3 billion in the same month of the previous year. In January, the surplus was EUR 465 million.
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