Canada’s trade surplus increased to $4.95 billion in June as exports to countries other than the United States hit a new high, Statistics Canada said today.

The government agency said that Canadian firms exported $37.2 billion worth of merchandise, up 1.8% from May.

Merchandise imports increased for the fourth consecutive month in June, edging up 0.2% to a record $32.3 billion.

Exports to the European Union increased from $2.2 billion to $2.5 billion since March, while exports to other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development increased from $992.7 million in February to $1.6 billion in June. Exports to Japan were also up 9.8% in June.

“Rising coal exports to several European Union countries, other OECD countries and Japan have contributed to each of these increases,” Statistics Canada said.

Exports of coal and other bituminous substances hit a record high of $310 million in June. While volumes increased almost 12%, the increase in export prices accounted for the majority of the growth, Statistics Canada said.