The EU27 external current account recorded a surplus of 28.4 billion euro in the third quarter of 2012, compared with a deficit of 9.1 bn in the third quarter of 2011, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical
office of the European Union.

In the third quarter of 2012, compared with the third quarter of 2011, the deficit of the goods account strongly decreased (-10.1 bn euro compared with -34.4 bn), while the surplus of the services account reached a record level (+40.9 bn compared with +31.1 bn). The surplus of the income account also rose (+14.9 bn compared with +12.1 bn), while the deficit of the current transfers account fell slightly (-17.3 bn euro compared with -18.0 bn).