The euro zone trade surplus widened in September, official data showed today, with a rise in exports offering rare good news for an embattled European economy that is worrying the world.
The export turnaround, which breaks a three-month string of declines, comes just days after it was learned the euro zone eked out 0.2%t growth in the third quarter this year.
The EU's official Eurostat agency said seasonally adjusted exports rose by 4.2% compared to a month earlier, to €171.9 billion. Imports also rose, but by a slower 3%.
Across the whole 28-nation European Union, exports rose by 5.8% over the period, while imports rose 3.2%.
Overall, the currency bloc posted a €18.5 billion trade surplus in September, up from €8.6 billion the month before.
The trade balance measures the difference between imports and exports and its size varies greatly across the euro zone.
As expected, powerhouse Germany posted the EU's biggest trade surplus, €138.8 billion for the year to date, followed by the Netherlands at €38.5 billion.
Non-euro zone Britain posted the widest trade deficit, at €89.8 billion, followed by France, Spain and Greece.
British Prime Minister David Cameron warned on Sunday that "red warning lights are once again flashing on the dashboard of the global economy", pointing out that the euro zone was "teetering on the brink of a possible third recession".
