Eurozone records trade surplus in October

BRUSSELS, Dec. 18 (Chinese media) -- The 15-nation eurozone recorded, out of expectation, a trade surplus in October, according to first estimate from the European Union's Eurostat on Thursday.

The eurozone saw a trade surplus of 900 million euros in October, but economists predicted a deficit of 5.0 billion euros. In September, the Eurostat revised deficit of 4.5 billion euros.

The figure in October of last year was a surplus of 4.2 billion euros.

Exports grew 1.0 percent in October over one year to 141.2 billion, while imports rose 3.0 percent to 140.3 billion euros, Eurostat said.

Eurostat said that from January to October post a trade deficit of 24.5 billion euros as imports rose 10 percent, while exports rose 6 percent during the same period.

In the 27-nation EU, October saw a trade deficit of 17.1 billion euros, down from the 23.5 billion euros in September but a little higher than a deficit 15.3 billion euros in October 2007.