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Euro Area Trade Surplus Squeezed In November 2025 As Machinery Exports Slide

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

January 16, 2026

The euro area recorded a €9.90 billion surplus in trade in goods with the rest of the world in November 2025, marking a notable decline from the €15.40 billion surplus in November 2024. Eurostat’s latest data points to a cooling in international trade activity, driven primarily by weaker exports of manufactured goods, despite improvements in the energy sector.

Declining Exports And Imports

In November 2025, the euro area’s exports fell to €240.20 billion, a 3.4 percent drop from €248.70 billion a year earlier. Imports declined by 1.3 percent to €230.30 billion, compared with €233.30 billion in November 2024. This contraction in trade was mainly due to reduced activity in the manufacturing sector, which was only partially offset by gains in energy.

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Sectoral Shifts: Improvement In Energy Performance

Among the notable shifts, the energy sector showed substantial improvement. The energy deficit was narrowed significantly, decreasing from a minus €24.30 billion in November 2024 to minus €17.60 billion in November 2025. This improvement underscores strategic adjustments in energy-related policies and investments aimed at mitigating broader economic challenges.

Year-To-Date Performance And Trends

For the first 11 months of 2025, the euro area achieved a total surplus of €152.70 billion, a decrease from €156.80 billion in the same period of 2024. During this period, exports to the rest of the world increased by 2.3 percent to €2.70 trillion, while imports edged up by 2.6 percent to €2.55 trillion. Intra-euro area trade also grew by 1.6 percent, reaching €2.42 trillion, reflecting steady domestic market activities within the single currency bloc.

European Union Trade Outlook

Across the wider European Union, the trade surplus in November 2025 stood at €8.10 billion, compared with €11.80 billion in November 2024. EU exports fell by 4.4 percent to €213.80 billion, while imports declined by 2.9 percent to €205.70 billion. Although the energy deficit improved, shrinking from €28.20 billion to €20.40 billion, weaker performance in key manufacturing segments, particularly machinery and vehicles, weighed on the overall balance.

Over the first 11 months of 2025, the EU recorded a trade surplus of €122.40 billion, down from €128.00 billion in the same period of 2024. Exports and imports increased by 2 percent and 2.3 percent respectively, while intra-EU trade grew by 2.2 percent to €3.82 trillion. The data points to mixed trends across EU trade rather than a uniform pattern of expansion or contraction.

Seasonally Adjusted Insights

On a seasonally adjusted month-to-month basis, figures for November 2025 show that euro area exports increased by 1.1 percent and imports by 2.5 percent, resulting in a surplus of €10.70 billion. In the European Union, exports rose by 2 percent and imports by 3.5 percent, yielding a seasonally adjusted surplus of €8.80 billion.

During the three months from September to November 2025, trade with non-euro and non-EU partners revealed divergent trends. Manufactured goods continued to face challenges, while energy-related trade showed relative strength.

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Cyprus Expects More French Visitors In 2027 As Air Capacity Expands

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 18, 2026

Cyprus expects more French visitors in 2027 as airlines increase capacity between the two countries, Tourism Deputy Minister Kostas Koumis said after meetings with tour operators in Paris.

France, one of Cyprus’ key tourism markets, has had a difficult 2026. French arrivals fell 46% year over year to 8,453 in August, from 15,663 a year earlier, according to the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat). August arrivals were also nearly 50% below the 16,798 recorded in the same month of 2024.

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Overall, Cyprus received 2.82 million tourist arrivals between January and August, down 7% from the same period in 2025.

Air Connectivity Supports 2027 Outlook

Koumis discussed the 2027 outlook with senior executives from tour operators offering Cyprus holidays during the IFTM Top Resa travel trade fair in Paris.

Higher air capacity between France and Cyprus was a key focus of the talks. Participants also discussed the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East on the French market and Cyprus’ efforts to adapt its tourism offering to French travelers.

“The French market is undoubtedly an extremely important market for our country’s tourism,” Koumis said, adding that France had regained importance only a few years ago and still had room to grow.

Improved air connectivity will be an important factor in that expansion, according to Koumis. “It is now clear that air connectivity between France and Cyprus is improving significantly, which is a basic prerequisite for the further growth of the market,” he said.

Cyprus Promotes Tourism And Regional Cooperation

Koumis attended the opening of IFTM Top Resa at the invitation of French Tourism Minister Serge Papin, who later visited the Cyprus stand. Held from Sept. 15 to 17 at Paris Porte de Versailles, the event brought together more than 32,000 tourism professionals representing 177 destinations and 1,650 brands, according to organizers.

During his visit, Koumis also met Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy. Cyprus and Egypt reaffirmed their tourism cooperation and discussed opportunities to strengthen ties further.

French media interviews covered Cyprus’ tourism offering, infrastructure and services, along with efforts to develop specialized tourism products. Regional instability weighed on arrivals in 2026, particularly during the spring, although the decline narrowed over the summer.