| Actual | Previous | |
| Level | €4.074B | €4.939B |
Highlights
The trade surplus was a seasonally adjusted 4.074 billion euro in April, narrowing slightly from March as exports fell 2.2 percent from the previous month while imports declined 0.6 percent.
Energy exports were up 47.8 percent in April compared to a year ago while imports rose 28.6 percent, leaving a deficit of 5.169 billion euros. Most of the other major sectors were in surplus, led by a 5.920 billion euro surplus for consumer goods. Excluding energy, the surplus was 9.462 billion.
Trade with the United States resulted in a surplus of 2.883 billion euros as imports were up 12.1 percent and imports rising 7.0 percent.
Import prices registered a 3.3 percent increase over the previous month and a 4.6 percent gain from April of last year.
With an agreement reached between the United States and Iran to cease hostilities, the result in the coming months should be lower oil prices. It remains to be seen, however, if this translates into lower prices passed downstream.
Definition
The merchandise trade balance measures the difference between imports and exports of goods. The level of the international trade balance, as well as changes in exports and imports, indicate trends in foreign trade and can offer a guide to an economy's competitiveness.
Description
Changes in the level of imports and exports, along with the difference between the two (the trade balance) are a valuable gauge of economic trends here and abroad. While these trade figures can directly impact all financial markets, they primarily affect currency values in foreign exchange markets.
Separate reports are published for external and internal EU trade. The extra-EU trade data are compiled on the basis of customs declarations with non-EU countries. The intra-EU trade data (Intrastat) are derived from surveys and provide statistics on trade between Italy and other EU member states. The data are available monthly. World trade data are available within one month after the reference month while intra-EU trade data are available within 7 weeks after the reference month.