BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Exports to the United States from euro countries were flat in January, the EU statistical agency said Thursday, as the weak dollar made German cars and French champagne more expensive for American shoppers.
The United States is the second-biggest export market for the 15 countries that use the euro, after Britain -- which is part of the EU but does not use the common currency.
Euro-area exports to the U.S. in January were worth 15.4 billion euros, or about $24.4 billion -- the same as a year earlier, Eurostat said. Exports to Britain rose 5 percent to 18.8 billion euros, or about $29.8 billion.
Exports to all other major regions grew, with massive increases in sales to China -- up 28 percent -- and Russia, with a 25 percent rise from the same month last year.
The rising cost of energy imports saw the euro area's trade deficit with the rest of the world grow by 50 percent to 11 billion euros ($17.5 billion) over the year to January.
The strong euro did allow Europe to import more from other regions, with purchases from Britain up 11 percent, goods from the U.S. up 3 percent and Chinese imports up 9 percent.
