LONDON (AFX) - The UK's global trade deficit widened once again in December to 3.182 bln stg from 2.838 bln the previous month as total exports fell by 4.5 pct over the month, National Statistics said. The December result was slightly higher than expectations with the AFX News median of forecasts anticipating a 3.0 bln stg deficit. Excluding oil and erratics, the trade deficit increased to 3.286 bln stg in December from a 2.991 bln shortfall the previous month. In the three months to December, the deficit on trade in goods widened to 8.357 bln stg from 8.098 bln in the previous three month period. NS reported that the UK's goods trade balance with EU countries was 820 mln stg in December, compared with a 773 mln deficit the previous month. This month marks a change in the way National Statistics releases UK trade data. In a move to streamline the figures for both global and Non-EU trade, NS has not released non-EU numbers for January. However, the non-EU deficit for December has been revised downwards to 2.362 bln stg, compared with the initial estimate of 2.400 bln. NS said the latest estimate of the trend suggests that the global trade in goods deficit is flat but that the overall trade deficit is widening. NS also said that the trend in the value of trade show both exports and imports falling in recent months. Global trade in services showed a surplus of 1.309 bln stg in December compared with an unrevised 1.115 bln stg surplus the previous month. The resultant global trade in goods and services balance for December was a 1.873 bln stg deficit compared with an unrevised 1.723 bln deficit the previous month.