Brussels, June 6, 2025 - Official data on Friday showed that the Eurozone economy grew at a significantly faster pace than anticipated in the first three months of 2025, thanks to higher-than-expected growth in Germany and high output in Ireland.
According to Eurostat, the GDP growth rate for the 27 countries of the European Union in the first quarter increased by 0.6% compared to the previous quarter, exceeding the May estimate of 0.3%.
Growth was driven by the EU's economic powerhouse, Germany, where growth in the first quarter was recorded at 0.4% (revised data compared to the 0.2% growth forecast in May).
Meanwhile, according to Eurostat, Ireland saw a sharp revision of its growth rate to 9.7% in the January-March period, while the May estimate was 3.2%.
In the lead-up to the implementation of US President Donald Trump's tariffs against the EU, there was a sharp increase in orders for products as exporters rushed to ship goods before the tariffs took effect.
Trump's tariffs continue to threaten economic growth in the Eurozone, as the EU faces 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum and 25% tariffs on car imports.
Brussels and Washington are trying to reach a mutually beneficial agreement to avoid the introduction of comprehensive US tariffs on most goods from the EU before July 9th