EU trade in goods surplus halved in Q1 2026

BRUSSELS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th May, 2026) The European Union recorded a trade surplus, with goods exported to non-EU countries exceeding imports by €12.7 billion, according to Eurostat.

Although this surplus was almost halved from €23.6 billion in the last quarter of 2025, the EU maintained a positive trade balance, established in the third quarter of 2023, following a period of deficits fuelled by soaring energy costs from late 2021 to mid-2023.

The decline in the trade balance compared to the previous quarter was primarily due to a reduction in the surplus for machinery and vehicles (from €39.8 billion in Q4 2025 to €27.

8 billion in Q1 2026) and an increase in the deficit on energy products (from €64.0 billion in Q4 2025 to €72.2 billion in Q1 2026).

This decrease was partially offset by a narrowing of the deficit for other manufactured goods (from €10.9 billion in Q4 2025 to €5.0 billion in Q1 2026) and a rise in the surplus for other goods (from €7.2 billion in Q4 2025 to €11.5 billion in Q1 2026).

In Q1 2026, exports contracted by 0.1 percent, marking a fourth consecutive quarterly decline, a trend partly attributable to tariff tensions. Meanwhile, imports increased by 1.7 percent, ending three consecutive quarters of decline.