PARIS: France’s trade deficit widened in April as exports fell faster than imports on a dearth of Airbus and business jet shipments, seasonally adjusted data published on Thursday by the customs office showed. Customs reported a trade deficit of 5.535 billion euros ($6.23 billion), wider than the gap of 4.776 billion euros booked in March, which was revised from -5.353 billion as originally reported. That compared with an average forecast for a trade deficit of 6.0 billion euros in a Reuters poll of seven economists.
Separately, the central bank said that the current account showed a deficit of 3.1 billion euros in April after -2.1 billion the previous month as the surplus in services dwindled. KEY DATA: April March Import Export Balance Import Export Balance Trade (adj) 43.811 38.276 -5.535 44.266 39.490 -4.776 Trade (unadj) 41.714 36.787 -4.927 48.993 44.865 -4.128 GRAPHICS Monthly balance, imports and exports: http://reut.rs/2nKc3RU Share of international trade: http://reut.rs/2eB1qS5 Trade balance excluding energy: http://reut.rs/2ey6kiJ ($1 = 0.8882 euros)
