ROME, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Italian sales abroad and imports both fell in January compared to the previous month, the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) said on Monday.

Season-adjusted data showed outgoing flows decreased by 2.5 percent, and incoming flows by 4.4 percent against December. More specifically, exports fell by 3.8 percent towards non-European Union (EU) markets, and by 1.5 percent towards EU countries, according to the statistical office. Purchases in January dropped by 4.1 percent from non-EU markets and by 4.6 from EU countries on a monthly basis.

Compared to the same month of 2017, however, both exports and imports in January grew by 9.5 percent and 7.8 percent, respectively. Outgoing flows increased by 13 percent towards EU countries and by 4.8 percent towards non-EU markets, while the overall growth in purchases was due to a 12.5 percent increase from the EU area and a 1.9 percent rise from non-EU areas.

Considering the period between Nov. 2017 and Jan. 2018, season-adjusted data showed a 1.7 percent increase in exports and a 2.4 percent increase in imports compared to the previous three months.

Finally, ISTAT said Italy's trade surplus in January dropped to 87 million euros (107 million U.S. dollars) from 575 million euros (707.8 million U.S. dollars) registered in the same month of 2017.

The figure resulted from a surplus achieved in trade with the EU area (439 millions) and a negative result in trade with non-EU countries (-526 millions), ISTAT stated. (1 euro = 1.23 U.S. dollars)