According to the latest revisions, the EU25 external current account recorded a deficit of 21.7 billion euro in the third quarter of 2006, as compared to a deficit of 17.9 bn in the third quarter of 2005 and a deficit of 18.2 bn in the second quarter of 2006.



In the third quarter of 2006, compared to the third quarter of 2005, a higher deficit was recorded in the goods account (-40.4 bn euro compared to -23.4 bn), while the surplus of the services account (+16.6 bn compared to +11.4 bn) and income account (+14.7 bn compared to +5.8 bn) increased. The deficit in the current transfers account slightly increased (-12.6 bn compared to -11.7 bn).

The surplus recorded in the services account (+16.6 bn euro) is mainly the result of surpluses in "other business services3" (+7.1 bn), financial services (+6.9 bn), transportation (+4.7 bn) and computer and information services (+2.5 bn), partially offset by deficits in travel (-3.9 bn) and royalties and license fees (-3.0 bn).

The EU25 external current account in the third quarter of 2006 recorded a surplus with the USA (+34.9 bn euro), Canada (+3.6 bn), Hong Kong (+1.8 bn) and Switzerland (+1.5 bn) and a deficit with China (-28.6 bn), Russia (-12.0 bn) and Japan (-5.0 bn).