Italy recorded a trade surplus of €5.409 billion in June, according to national statistics office ISTAT, down from €6.163 billion in May but higher than the €5.150 billion surplus logged a year earlier. Exports rose 4.9 percent year-on-year while imports increased 4.8 percent, reflecting sustained foreign demand for Italian goods despite a softening global outlook. Within the European Union, Italy posted a modest trade deficit of €69 million, narrowing sharply from a €961 million shortfall in June 2024. The data suggest that stronger sales to non-EU markets, particularly in the United States and Asia, continue to offset sluggish intra-EU trade. Germany released separate figures showing its current-account surplus widened to €18.6 billion in June from a revised €7.5 billion in May, pointing to a rebound in export earnings after energy-related cost pressures earlier in the year. The improvement comes as Berlin prepares a large fiscal support package aimed at bolstering industrial competitiveness. Elsewhere in the region, Bulgaria’s statistics office reported a June trade deficit of BGN 1.08 billion, driven by a 4 percent drop in exports and a 2.7 percent rise in imports, underscoring the uneven external-sector performance across EU member states.