EU trade surplus a bit higher

The 17 nations that share the euro as currency posted a $1.3 billion trade surplus in June, up by $287.7 million from June 2010, Eurostat said Tuesday. For the past two months, the figures have been positive compared to the same period a year earlier. In May, the trade balance came to a surplus of $287.7 million compared to a deficit of $5.7 billion for May 2010. The balance has swing up and down through the year, coming in at a surplus of $3.1 billion in March and falling to an $8.3 billion deficit in April. June's figures highlight some of the disparity. While the 17-member eurozone posted a moderate surplus for the month, the 27-member European Union posted a $17.5 billion deficit. Figures for the continent's energy bill are also telling. The EU27 deficit for imported energy rose from $171.6 billion in the first five months of 2010 to $222.5 billion for the first five months of 2011. The trade surplus in manufactured goods, meanwhile, rose from $62.6 billion to $131.3 billion over the same period, Eurostat said.