Czech trade surplus rises in February

Czech trade surplus rises in February

The Czech Republic's foreign trade surplus rose 52.9% month on month to €223 million in February 2005, said the Czech Statistical Office. The country's exports and imports rose 9.6% and 9.3% respectively. Czech Republic's trade surplus with the European Union (EU) member countries amounted to €982.6 million, while its trade deficit with non-EU countries totaled €759.4 million. The country's trade with France, the US and Slovakia showed an upward trend; however, trade with the Netherlands and Russia worsened. The statistical office indicates that growing oil prices and a slowdown in the economies of EU countries could negatively impact the country's trade this year.