BRUSSELS (AFX) - The euro zone posted a trade surplus in November of 1.7 bln eur, against a revised surplus of 2.3 bln in October and a surplus of 3.2 bln a year earlier, the EU statistics office Eurostat said.
The zone's October surplus of 2.3 bln eur was revised from an initially estimated surplus of 3.7 bln eur.
Exports fell to 90.9 bln eur against 94.3 in October and against 77.6 a year earlier, while imports fell to 89.2 bln eur from 92.0 bln the previous month and compared to 74.3 bln a year earlier.
Within the euro zone, trade in goods fell to 87.6 bln in November from 91.6 bln in October and were up 9 pct from the year earlier's 80.6 bln, it said.
For the first 11 months of the year the euro zone's surplus fell to 11.6 bln eur from 48.0 bln a year earlier.
Eurostat said trade growth remained strong in November. "Having passed 80 bln eur for the first time in March 2000, extra-EU-15 and extra-euro-zone monthly trade flows reached 90 bln in October 2000," it said.
For the EU-15, the trade deficit widened in November to 7.2 bln eur from a revised 5.3 bln deficit in October, and 3.3 bln deficit a year earlier.
The October surplus was revised from a first estimate of 5.8 bln eur deficit.
For the first ten months and among the main products, the euro zone posted a trade deficit of 115.4 bln eur for primary products, against a deficit of 65.3 bln a year earlier.
Exports rose 21 pct to 84.0 bln and imports grew 48 pct to 199.4 bln.
The biggest increases were seen in energy products, where imports rose 92 pct to 114.7 bln eur from 59.7 bln, and exports grew 66 pct to 18.2 bln eur from 10.9 in 1999.
"The energy deficit increased by 46.5 bln eur compared with January-October 1999, accounting for more than 80 pct of the deterioration in the total trade balance," Eurostat said.
In manufactured goods, the euro zone's surplus rose to 130.1 bln eur in the first ten months from 109.1 bln a year earlier, on exports up 21 pct at 714.2 bln eur and imports up 21 pct at 584.1 bln eur.
The EU-15 posted a trade deficit in primary products of 123.7 bln eur over the first ten months, compared with a 73.1 bln eur deficit in 1999, with exports growing 30 pct to 79.9 bln eur and imports growing 51 pct to 203.6 bln, it said.
For manufactured goods, the EU-15 surplus rose to 62.2 bln eur from 59.9 bln, with exports rising 23 pct to 667.6 bln eur and imports gaining 26 pct to 605.5 bln, it said.
Trade flows over the first ten months grew in all EU countries, with Germany posting the largest surplus at 47.7 bln eur, and the UK registering the largest deficit at 52.1 bln eur, it said.
EU-15 trade flows with major partners grew strongly over the first ten months, with notable increases in exports to Czech Republic, up 30 pct; to Russia, up 33 pct; and to Turkey, up 46 pct; while imports grew notably from Poland, up 33 pct; from China, up 41 pct; from Norway, up 54 pct; and from Russia, up 79 pct, it said.