Current account asymmetries in EU-US statistics — 2019 edition - Products Statistical reports

The EU and the US are the most prominent economic partners in the world. Persistent bilateral asymmetries in their current account statistics remain however a substantial issue that challenges conclusive reading of the data. This paper investigates the causes of current account asymmetries in EU-US statistics, with a particular focus on the bilateral trade in services and primary income flows as the main contributors to the observed asymmetries. It emphasises the complex and multidimensional nature of the asymmetries, and warns of simplistic explanations. Strategies to address the issue thus have to take place on different levels – from bilateral reconciliation efforts among compilers to international coordination, exchange of knowledge, data and compilation practices.