BRUSSELS, May 16 (UPI) -- The 17 nations that share the euro as currency posted a $3.9 billion trade surplus in March, Eurostat said Monday.
The surplus is slightly higher than the $3.8 billion surplus of March 2010.
From February to March, eurozone exports rose by 1.1 percent outstripping a 0.3 percent rise in imports.
For the larger, 27-member European Union, the trade deficit for March reached $13.6 billion, compared with a deficit of $12.6 billion in March 2010.
For the EU, the deficit in energy trading has grown "significantly" this year, Eurostat said. In January and February 2011, EU countries reported an $86.6 billion trade deficit on energy items. For the same two months a year earlier, the trade deficit on energy items was $63.1 billion.
The EU trade surplus with the United States for January and February rose from $8.2 billion in 2010 to $11.2 billion this year. The trade deficit with China grew from $32.4 billion a year ago to $39.6 billion this year.
