Archive:Extra-EU trade in manufactured goods
Data from April 2021
Planned update: April 2022
Highlights
In 2020, manufactured goods made up 83 % of all EU exports and 74 % of EU imports.
The United States, the United Kingdom and China were the main EU trading partners for manufactured goods in 2020.
EU-27 imports, exports and trade balance in manufactured products, 2002-2019
This article focuses on the structure and evolution of the European Union (EU) international trade in manufactured goods: imports and exports at EU level.
This article is part of an online publication providing recent statistics on international trade in goods, covering information on the EU's main partners, main products traded, specific characteristics of trade as well as background information.
Full article
The Standard international trade classification (SITC) distinguishes four main groups (sections) of manufactured goods:
- chemicals (SITC 5);
- manufactured goods classified chiefly by material (SITC 6);
- machinery and vehicles (SITC 7);
- miscellaneous manufactured articles (SITC 8).
Categories 6 and 8 are often grouped together as 'other manufactured goods'. This grouping is also used in this article.
Manufactured goods dominate international trade
The share of manufactured goods in total exports of goods was 87 % in 2002 (Figure 1). It had had its lowest value in 2012 at 80 % then gradually recovered, standing at 83 % in 2020. There was more fluctuation in the share of manufactured goods in total imports of goods. It was 70 % in 2002. It had its lowest value in 2012 at 57 % and peaked in 2020 at 74 %
Between 2002 and 2019, exports of manufactured goods increased from EUR 865 billion to EUR 1 764 billion (Figure 2). Due to the Covid-19 pandemic exports fell to EUR 1 602 billion in 2020. Imports of manufactured goods increased from EUR 662 billion in 2002 to EUR 1 347 in 2019 but then fell to EUR 1 262 billion in 2020. In this period, the trade balance increased from EUR 204 billion in 2002 to EUR 340 billion in 2020. It had its lowest value of EUR 182 billion in 2003 and peaked in 2013 at EUR 483 billion.
Source: Eurostat (online data code: Comext data code : DS-018995)
The United States was the largest export partner for manufactured goods in 2020 with a share of 19 %, followed by the United Kingdom (14 %) and China (11 %). The top six partners accounted for 59 % of total exports of manufactured goods. China was the largest import partner for manufactured goods in 2020 with a share of 30 %, followed by the United States (13 %) and the United Kingdom (10 %). The top six partners accounted for 68 % of total imports of manufactured goods.
Within manufactured goods, machinery and vehicles was the largest group, both in exports (49 %) and imports (47 %). In both cases other manufactured goods was the second largest group (28 % in exports and 35 % in imports) followed by chemicals (23 % in exports and 174 % in imports).4
In the next three paragraphs these three groups are discussed in more detail.
Machinery and vehicles largest category in manufactured goods
Between 2002 and 2020, exports of machinery and vehicles increased by EUR 417 billion, from EUR 455 billion to EUR 872 billion (Figure 5). This was equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 3.9 %. In this period, imports of machinery and vehicles increased by EUR 297 billion, from EUR 338 billion to EUR 635 billion. This was equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 3.8 %. In this period, the trade balance increased from EUR 117 billion to EUR 237 billion. It had its lowest value of EUR 106 billion in 2003 and peaked in 2013 at EUR 317 billion.
The largest category in exports of machinery and vehicles was road vehicles with 26.3 % (Figure 6). It was followed by general industrial machinery and equipment and electrical machinery and parts thereof, both with 15.5 %. The largest category in imports of machinery and vehicles was electrical machinery and parts thereof with 22.2 %. It was followed by road vehicles with 17.3 % and telecommunications and sound-recording with 16.2 %.
The United States was the largest export partner for machinery and vehicles in 2020 with a share of 17.9 % (Figure 8). The top six partners accounted for 56.7 % of total exports of machinery and vehicles. China was the largest import partner for machinery and vehicles in 2020 with a share of 31.0 %. The top six partners accounted for 72.3 % of total imports of machinery and vehicles.
China accounts for a quarter of the imports of other manufactured goods
Between 2002 and 2020, exports of other manufactured goods increased by EUR 227 billion, from EUR 259 billion to EUR 486 billion (Figure 10). This was equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 3.8 %. In this period, imports of other manufactured goods increased by EUR 247 billion, from EUR 226 billion to EUR 473 billion. This was equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 4.4 %. In this period, the trade balance decreased from EUR 33 billion to EUR 13 billion. It had its lowest value of EUR -21 billion in 2007 and peaked in 2013 at EUR 52 billion.
The largest category in exports of other manufactured goods was manufactures of metals, n.e.s. with 22.3 % (Figure 11). It was followed by iron and steel with 16.1 % and non-metallic mineral manufactures, n.e.s. with 15.5 %. The largest category in imports of other manufactured goods classified chiefly by material was manufactures of metals, n.e.s. with 21.7 %. It was followed by non-ferrous metals with 18.9 % and iron and steel with 18.1 %.
The United States was the largest export partner for other manufactured goods in 2020 with a share of 16.2 % (Figure 13). The top six partners accounted for 57.4 % of total exports of other manufactured goods. China was the largest import partner for other manufactured goods in 2020 with a share of 28.6 %. The top six partners accounted for 61.9 % of total imports of other manufactured goods.
Chemicals fastest growing sector in manufactured goods
Between 2002 and 2020, exports of chemicals increased by EUR 257 billion, from EUR 151 billion to EUR 408 billion (Figure 15). This was equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 6.0 %. In this period, imports of chemicals increased by EUR 139 billion, from EUR 97 billion to EUR 236 billion. This was equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 5.4 %. In this period, the trade balance increased from EUR 54 billion in 2002 to a peak of EUR 172 billion in 2020. It had its lowest value of EUR 52 billion in 2003.
The largest category in exports of chemicals was medicinal and pharmaceutical products with 49.8 % (Figure 16). It was followed by organic chemicals with 12.3 %. The largest category in imports of chemicals was medicinal and pharmaceutical products with 39.6 %. It was followed by organic chemicals with 22.2 % and chemical materials and products, n.e.s. with 10.0 %.
The United States was the largest export partner for chemicals in 2020 with a share of 25.4 % (Figure 17). The top six partners accounted for 60.9 % of total exports of chemicals. The United States was the largest import partner for chemicals in 2020 with a share of 22.7 %. The top six partners accounted for 72.0 % of total imports of chemicals.
Product categories
Some of the labels in Figures 7, 11, 12 and 16 have been shortened for graphical reasons. The complete label for each category is shown in the table below.
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources
EU data come from Eurostat’s COMEXT database. COMEXT is the Eurostat reference database for international trade. It provides access not only to both recent and historical data from the EU Member States but also to statistics of a significant number of third countries. International trade aggregated and detailed statistics disseminated from Eurostat website are compiled from COMEXT data according to a monthly process. Because COMEXT is updated on a daily basis, data published on the website may differ from data stored in COMEXT in case of recent revisions.
EU data are compiled according to community guidelines and may, therefore, differ from national data published by Member States. Statistics on extra-EU trade are calculated as the sum of trade of each of the 27 Member States with countries outside the EU. In other words, the EU is considered as a single trading entity and trade flows are measured into and out of the area, but not among Member States within the EU.
The United Kingdom is considered as an extra-EU partner country for the EU for the whole period covered by this article. However, the United Kingdom was still part of the internal market until the end of the transitory period (31 December 2020), meaning that data on trade with the United Kingdom are still based on statistical concepts applicable to trade between the EU Member States. Consequently, while imports from any other extra-EU trade partner are grouped by country of origin, the United Kingdom data reflect the country of consignment. In practice this means that the goods imported by the EU from the United Kingdom were physically transported from the United Kingdom but part of these goods could have been of other origin than the United Kingdom. For this reason, data on trade with the United Kingdom are not fully comparable with data on trade with other extra-EU trade partners.
Unit of measure
Trade values are expressed in billions (109) of euros. They correspond to the statistical value, i.e. to the amount which would be invoiced in case of sale or purchase at the national border of the reporting country. It is called a FOB value (free on board) for exports and a CIF value (cost, insurance, freight) for imports.
Context
The EU is the world's biggest exporter of manufactured goods, and is a global market leader for high-quality products. Thanks to some of its key assets such as chemicals, pharmacy products, motor vehicles and non-electrical machinery, the European Union has a substantial trade surplus for manufactured products.
Direct access to
- International trade data (t_ext)
- International trade long-term indicators (t_ext_lti)
- International trade short-term indicators (t_ext_sti)
- International trade data (ext)
- International trade long-term indicators (ext_lti)
- International trade short-term indicators (ext_sti)
- International trade detailed data (detail)
- International trade in goods statistics - background
- International trade in goods (ESMS metadata file — ext_go_agg_esms)
- User guide on European statistics on international trade in goods
- Regulation (EC) No 471/2009 of 6 May 2009 on Community statistics relating to external trade with non-member countries
- Summaries of EU Legislation: Extrastat: statistics relating to trade with non-EU countries
- Regulation (EU) No 92/2010 of 2 February 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 471/2009, as regards data exchange between customs authorities and national statistical authorities, compilation of statistics and quality assessment
- Regulation (EU) No 113/2010 of 9 February 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 471/2009 , as regards trade coverage, definition of the data, compilation of statistics on trade by business characteristics and by invoicing currency, and specific goods or movements.