BRUSSELS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The euro zone plunged into a trade deficit in May, suggesting a strong euro was taking its toll on exports, the European Union (EU)'s statistics bureau Eurostat estimated on Friday.
In May, the 15-nation bloc sharing the same currency euro posted a trade deficit of 4.6 billion euros (7.3 billion U.S. dollars), compared with a surplus of 2.5 billion euros in April and a surplus of 1.4 billion euros in May 2007.
Analysts said the deficit, the third time in the first five months of this year, may signal the euro's strength was weighing on exports and boosting imports.
Figures showed in May eurozone exports grew by four percent over one year to 128.4 billion euros, while imports rose nine percent to 133.0 billion euros.
For the 27-nation EU, external trade balance showed a deficit of 21.5 billion euros in May, up from a deficit of 15.4 billion euros in April and a deficit of 14.7 billion euros in May 2007.
