Malta posted the biggest increase in exports within the EU in the first four months of the year, according to Eurostat.

Exports increased by 40 per cent between January and April with the value of Maltese products shipped abroad reaching the €600 million mark over the same period of 2009, according to the EU trade figures.

Although almost all EU countries, except Ireland, Luxembourg and Finland, increased their exports over the previous year, Malta's growth was by far the largest in the EU. Romania (24 per cent) and Estonia (23 per cent) came the closest to Malta.

Eurostat said that during the same period, Malta imported eight per cent more products than it did in January-April 2009. The value of imports in the first four months of this year reached €900 million.

The biggest growth in imports in the EU was registered by Lithuania and Sweden, both importing 22 per cent more than last year. Luxembourg registered a drop in imports of seven per cent between January and April.

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