By BridgeNews Brussels--Jan. 4--The euro zone had a trade surplus of 3.7 billion euros in October, compared with a revised deficit of 0.4 billion euros in September, according to first estimates published Thursday by Eurostat. The total euro-zone surplus for the year to date is now 11.3 billion euros, compared with 44.7 billion euros for 1999. Eurostat earlier reported the euro zone as having a trade surplus of 3.3 billion euro in September. Eurostat said the first estimate for the EU-15 trade in October showed a deficit of 5.8 billion euros, compared with a revised deficit of 8.9 billion euros in September and a deficit of 0.6 billion in Oct. 1999. Euro-zone exports were 22% higher in October this year than in the same month last year and imports were 29% higher, boosted by higher oil import prices. On a year-to-date basis, exports were 21% higher and imports 28% higher. Germany continued to have the largest surplus (40.6 billion) and Ireland (thanks to exceptional growth) had the second biggest at 21.3 billion with the value of exports 50% bigger than imports. The UK had the largest deficit at 46.8 billion, followed by Spain (28.9 billion) and Greece (13.8 billion).