BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The European Union's trade deficit widened to euro23.8 billion ($31.1 billion) in November from euro17 billion a year earlier as the global economic downturn hit its exports, official figures showed Friday.
For the first 10 months of 2008, the region's deficit with China swelled to euro138.8 billion, up euro5.4 billion from a year earlier, as imports grew more than exports.
The deficit with Russia also increased, to euro60.8 billion in the Jan-Oct period in 2008, compared to euro44.2 billion in the year earlier period.
The EU's statistical agency Eurostat said in an announcement Friday that the EU's energy deficit increased to euro312.3 billion in that period compared to euro215.8 billion a year earlier.