EU-27 trade with South Africa fell sharply in 2009 - Issue number 42/2010 - Products Statistics in Focus

In 2009, South Africa was the EU-27's 14th largest trade partner and the 2nd largest from Africa, close behind Algeria. EU-27 trade with South Africa changed dramatically from 2008 to 2009. Exports, which had fallen slightly in 2008, dropped by a further fifth in 2009; imports, which had risen steadily since 2003, fell by one third. Germany was the largest EU trading partner with South Africa. German exports to South Africa fell by 20% and their imports by 26% from 2008 to 2009, resulting in its total trade with South Africa falling by EUR 2.6 billion. The UK, South Africa's second largest EU trading partner, saw its total trade with South Africa fall by EUR 3.0 billion, almost one third, in the same time.