The export surplus of EU countries in trade with the United States, which is repeatedly criticized by US President Donald Trump, continues to grow. Exports of goods to the United States exceeded imports by about 115 billion euros in the first nine months of this year - an increase of about 13 per cent, according to statistics agency Eurostat.
In the same period of the previous year, the surplus was only about € 102 billion. Trump has repeatedly denounced his country's deficit in trade in goods with the European Union and has therefore repeatedly threatened punitive tariffs, including on European cars. Recently, the fear of these car duties had risen again, after the US President had not announced a temporary waiver this week as hoped.
While EU exports to the world's largest economy increased by 11.8 per cent to 334 billion euros between January and September, imports from there to the EU rose by 11 per cent to almost 219 billion euros. Meanwhile, the deficit in EU trade with China increased from 131 billion euros a year ago to a good 145 billion euros.