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Exports expanded by 8.9 percent in 2017 from a year earlier to 277.1 billion euros ($342.4 billion) while imports rose 10.5 percent to 301.9 billion euros leading to a trade deficit of 24.7 billion euros, up 31.9 percent from a year earlier.
In December, the deficit fell 16.2 percent from a year earlier to 2.1 billion euros as exports rose 6 percent to 22.0 billion euros while imports rose 3.6 percent to 24.0 billion euros, the ministry said.