London: The UK's trade balance recorded a deficit of £18.9 billion ($25.1 billion) in March, reflecting a decrease of £0.6 billion from the previous month, according to the Office for National Statistics on Thursday. This figure was slightly below market expectations, which had anticipated a monthly deficit of £19.1 billion. According to Anadolu Agency, the country's goods exports reached £31.1 billion, marking a 0.8% increase month-on-month, while goods imports amounted to £50 billion, showing a decrease of 0.7% during the same period. Exports to EU member states stood at £14.3 billion, which was a 1.6% rise in March. Imports from the EU also increased, reaching £26.4 billion, up 0.9%, resulting in a deficit of £12.1 billion. The trade deficit with non-EU countries was recorded at £6.8 billion. Exports to these countries rose marginally by 0.1% to £16.8 billion, while imports fell by 2.5% to £23.6 billion. Notably, exports to the US climbed by £2.4 billion in March, continuing a trend of monthly increases for the fourth consecutive month, while imports of US goods grew by £1.3 billion. In the three months ending in March, the overall trade deficit narrowed by £3.6 billion, totaling a deficit of £6.6 billion compared to the previous quarter. The report highlighted that the trade in goods deficit reduced by £4.3 billion to £55.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025, while the trade in services surplus is estimated to have narrowed by approximately £0.7 billion to £48.6 billion. In the first quarter, goods exports increased by 7.3% on a quarterly basis to £92.7 billion, whereas imports rose by 1.4% to £147.9 billion.