ROME: Italy’s foreign trade surplus with non-EU countries decreased in February from a year ago, as imports grew faster than exports, figures from the statistical office Istat showed Friday.
The trade surplus shrank to EUR 1.7 billion in February from EUR 2.6 billion in the corresponding month last year. In January, the trade balance showed a deficit of EUR 890 million.
Exports climbed 3.6 percent year-over-year and imports grew by 11.9 percent.
On a monthly basis, both exports and imports fell a seasonally adjusted 4.7 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively in January.