The euro zone achieved a trade surplus in August despite a steady rise in its currency.
Preliminary data today showed the 13-country zone posted a non-seasonally adjusted external trade surplus of €1.3 billion ($1.84 billion), down from an upwardly revised €5.7 billion surplus in July.
Economists polled had expected trade to be balanced in August.
The euro has risen more than 20 per cent against the dollar and yen since its arrival in January 1999, and it has appreciated around 10 per cent in the last 12 months.
Leading economic institutes in Germany, Europe's biggest exporter, said the strong euro, which hit all-time highs at $1.4281 at the start of October, would curb export strength next year and consequently cut German growth.
However, latest trade data from Eurostat, the European Union's statistics office, was still strong.
Non-adjusted, euro zone exports grew 13 per cent year-on-year in August, almost twice as fast as imports. In the first eight months of this year export growth came to 10 per cent against the same period of 2006 - double the increase in imports.
Seasonally adjusted, the trade surplus grew in August to €4.3 billion from €800 million in July.