The eurozone's goods trade surplus slipped to €25.4 billion in December 2017, down from €27.6 billion a year earlier, provisional data from Eurostat showed.

Exports of goods rose to €180.7 billion from €179.0 billion in December 2016. Imports amounted to €155.3 billion compared to €151.4 billion.

In seasonally adjusted terms, the trade surplus was €23.8 billion, up from €22.0 billion in November.

The bloc's trade surplus narrowed to €238.1 billion in the January 2017-December 2017 period from €265.2 billion in the same period last year on an unadjusted basis.