Netherlands' merchandise trade surplus increased from last year in April, data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics showed Thursday.
The trade surplus increased to EUR4.4 billion in April from EUR4.2 billion in March. April this year had one working day less than in 2011, the agency said.
Export of goods increased 6 percent on an annual basis to EUR35.1 billion during the month, notably faster than the 3 percent growth seen in March. Imports advanced at a faster rate of 6 percent annually to EUR30.7 billion in April, helped mainly by increased trade in mineral fuels, data showed.
At the same time, Dutch export prices increased 2.4 percent year-on-year in April, while import prices advanced 2.1 percent.
Separately, the agency said retail sales in the Netherlands decreased 8.7 percent annually in April, on a sharp fall in sales of food products. In March, retail sales increased 2.4 percent year-on-year.
by RTT Staff Writer
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