EU Trade Surplus Shrinks Sharply in February as Exports to US Fall
EU trade surplus shrinks 60% as U.S. exports fall due to tariffs
On Friday, Eurostat reported that the European Union’s trade surplus with the rest of the world shrank by 60% in February, driven by a sharp drop in exports to the US, Reuters reported (4-17-26).
EU exports declined 9.3% year-over-year in February, while imports fell 3.5%. The steepest contraction was in shipments to the US, which dropped 26.4%, as imports from the US edged 3.2% lower. Exports to China also declined.
The drop follows elevated export levels a year earlier, when EU exporters accelerated shipments to the US ahead of anticipated tariffs, boosting early-2025 figures. In February 2025, exports to the US had risen 22.4% year-over-year.
Trade flows were also influenced by shifting US tariff policy. On February 20, the US Supreme Court struck down broad tariffs imposed under emergency powers, although new temporary import levies were introduced shortly after, with plans to rework tariff structures aligned with prior EU agreements.
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