Archive:ASEAN-EU - international trade in goods statistics

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Figure 1: Asean trade in goods export and import shares with main partners, 2017 %
Source: UNCTAD

Figure 2: EU-28, trade in goods exports, imports and balance with ASEAN countries, 2007-2017 (EUR billion)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Figure 3: EU-28 exports of goods to ASEAN by main product groups, 2017 (shares of total exports in value)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Figure 4: EU-28 imports of goods from ASEAN by main product groups, 2017 (shares of total exports in value)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Figure 5: EU-28 exports of goods to ASEAN countries, 2007-2017 (EUR billion)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Figure 5b: EU-28 exports of goods to ASEAN countries - details, 2007-2017 (EUR billion)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Figure 6: EU-28 imports of goods from ASEAN countries, 2007-2017 (EUR billion)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Figure 6b: EU-28 imports of goods from ASEAN countries - details, 2007-2017 (EUR billion)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Figure 7: EU-28 trade in goods balance with ASEAN countries, 2007-2017 (EUR billion)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Figure 7b: EU-28 trade in goods balance with ASEAN countries - details, 2007-2017 (EUR billion)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Figure 8: Exports of goods to ASEAN by Member State, 2017 (EUR million and %)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Figure 9: Imports of goods from ASEAN by Member State, 2017 (EUR million and %)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Figure 10: Trade in goods balance with ASEAN by Member State, 2017 (EUR million)
Source: Eurostat - Comext (DS-018995)

Data extracted in September 2018. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database. Planned article update: September 2019.

This article provides a picture of the international trade in goods between the European Union (EU) and ASEAN. It analyses the type of goods exchanged between them and the shares of each EU Member State in those exchanges. The countries belonging to ASEAN are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

ASEAN countries trade in goods with main partners

Figure 1 shows the six largest trade (imports + exports) partners of ASEAN countries. Between a fifth and a quarter of imports and exports of ASEAN countries is with other ASEAN countries (see Figure 1). In both cases China is the second largest partner. In exports the next four largest partners are the EU, the United States, Japan and Hong Kong. In imports the next four are Japan, the EU, South Korea and the United States.

Between 2007 and 2014 total import and exports of goods of ASEAN countries follow a similar pattern: a low point in 2009 followed by a strong recovery (see Figure 2). After 2014 imports grow more strongly than exports. In 2007 the EU had a trade deficit with ASEAN countries of EUR 28 billion. In the following years the trade deficit varied and reached a minimum of EUR 15 billion in 2013. After that the trade deficit increased and reached EUR 44 billion in 2017.

Manufactured goods dominate trade with ASEAN partners

In 2007, almost 90 % of goods exported to ASEAN countries were manufactured goods (see Figure 3). This share fell to 82 % in 2017 while the share of primary goods rose from 9 % to 17 % and other goods rose from 1 % to 2 %. The declining share for manufactured goods was mostly caused by the decline in the share of machinery and vehicles from 57 % in 2007 to 49 % in 2017.

Manufacture goods also dominate imports of goods from ASEAN countries (see Figure 4). Between 2007 and 2017 there share increased modestly from 82 % to 85 % mainly due to the increasing share of machinery and vehicles. The 2 % drop in the share of primary goods was mainly due to the falling share of raw materials.

Singapore largest ASEAN goods exporter, Vietnam largest goods ASEAN importer for the EU

Figure 5 shows the EU exports to the six largest ASEAN trading partners while the exports to Cambodia, Myanmar,Brunei and Laos have been grouped in "Other" and are shown separately in Figure 5b. Singapore is the largest export destination for EU exports of goods and also had the largest increase in exports from EUR 20.6 billion in 2007 to EUR 33.2 billion in 2017. This EUR 12.6 billion increase equates to an average annual growth rate of 4.9 %. A much higher average annual growth rate of 11.4 % was seen in exports to Vietnam which grew by EUR 7 billion starting from EUR 3.6 billion in 2007 and reaching 10.6 billion in 2017. Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar also had double digit growth rates.

It is in imports that Vietnam achieved an even higher growth rate of 16.7 % coming from EUR 7.0 billion worth of imports in 2007 to EUR 37.0 billion in 2017. It thereby surpassed the imports from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore whose average annual growth rates varied between 0.8 % and 3.3 %. Among the ASEAN countries, only Cambodia and Myanmar, coming from very low imports in 2007 achieved higher growth rates.

Vietnam's high growth in imports meant that the EU saw its trade deficit with Vietnam increase from EUR -4.3 billion in 2007 to EUR -26.4 billion in 2017. With the exception of Laos (+ 0.2 billion) and Singapore (+ 13.1 billion), the EU had trade deficits with all other ASEAN countries.

Germany largest trade in goods partner for ASEAN countries

German exports of goods to ASEAN countries had a value of EUR 25 billion in 2017 which was 4.7 % of all their extra-EU exports. This share was highest in Malta for who more that 15 % of exports was destined for ASEAN countries, but in absolute terms the value was much lower, amounting to EUR 158 million.

Among the EU member states, Germany was also the largest importer of goods from ASEAN countries with EUR 30 billion which was 8.5 % of all its extra-EU imports. Austria had the highest share of its imports originating in ASEAN countries; their imports of EUR 4.6 billion made up 13 % of all their extra-EU imports.

There were 7 Member States had a trade in goods surplus with ASEAN countries, the highest of which was recorded by France and amounted to EUR 4.6 billion in 2017. The remaining 21 Member States had trade deficits with ASEAN countries. The largest four were found in Germany (EUR 4.7 billion), Belgium (EUR 6 billion), the United Kingdom (EUR 10 billion) and the Netherlands (EUR 15 billion).

Source data for tables and graphs

Trade EU28 with ASEAN countries

Data sources

EU data is taken from Eurostat's COMEXT database. COMEXT is the reference database for international trade in goods. 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 via the Eurostat website are compiled from COMEXT data according to a monthly process.

Data are collected by the competent national authorities of the Member States and compiled according to a harmonised methodology established by EU regulations before transmission to Eurostat. For extra-EU trade, the statistical information is mainly provided by the traders on the basis of customs declarations.

EU data are compiled according to Community guidelines and may, therefore, differ from national data published by the Member States. Statistics on extra-EU trade are calculated as the sum of trade of each of the 28 EU 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 within it.

Methodology According to the EU concepts and definitions, extra-EU trade statistics (trade between EU Member States and non-EU countries) do not record exchanges involving goods in transit, placed in a customs warehouse or given temporary admission (for trade fairs, temporary exhibitions, tests, etc.). This is known as ‘special trade’. The partner is the country of final destination of the goods for exports and the country of origin for imports.

Product classification Information on commodities exported and imported is presented according to the Standard international trade classification (SITC). A full description is available from Eurostat’s classification server RAMON.

Unit of measure Trade values are expressed in millions or 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

Trade is an important indicator of Europe’s prosperity and place in the world. The block is deeply integrated into global markets both for the products it sources and the exports it sells. The EU trade policy is an important element of the external dimension of the ‘Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ and is one of the main pillars of the EU’s relations with the rest of the world.

Because the 28 EU Member States share a single market and a single external border, they also have a single trade policy. EU Member States speak and negotiate collectively, both in the World Trade Organization, where the rules of international trade are agreed and enforced, and with individual trading partners. This common policy enables them to speak with one voice in trade negotiations, maximising their impact in such negotiations. This is even more important in a globalised world in which economies tend to cluster together in regional groups.

The openness of the EU’s trade regime has meant that the EU is the biggest player on the global trading scene and remains a good region to do business with. Thanks to the ease of modern transport and communications, it is now easier to produce, buy and sell goods around the world which gives European companies of every size the potential to trade outside Europe.