Archive:Main goods in extra-EU exports
- Data extracted in September 2018. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database. Planned article update: September 2019
This article focuses on the most significant goods by value (according to the CPA classification) in extra-EU exports. It presents statistics for the EU-28 from 2013 to 2017. Statistics on goods traded between the EU and the world — especially the size and evolution of exports — enable the EU and national authorities to evaluate the health and competitiveness of EU industries.
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.
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EU-28 exports by CPA groups
The CPA classification consists of 40 products. The 24 most exported products (measured in value) are shown in Table 1 while the other 16 are grouped as "Other". For 20 of the products exports were highest in 2017. The four exceptions were all primary products: 'Basic metals', 'Coke and refined petroleum products', 'Products of agriculture, hunting and related services' and 'Other mining and quarrying products'.
Figure 1 shows the composition of total exports by the 24 CPA groups identified in table1 in 2017. The top two products 'Machinery and equipment n.e.c.' and 'Motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers' together account for a quarter of all exports. While the top five account of half of all exports. It is on this top 5 that the rest of article will concentrate.
Figure 2 shows that from 2013 to 2017 the top-5 products were almost continuously in the top 5. In fact only in 2013 there was an "outsider" in the top 5 which was basic metals which temporarily pushed pharmaceutical products to rank 6.Throughout the period the most exported product was machinery and equipment with a share close to 14 %. Motor vehicles had a share between 11 %. The other three product all had shares between 6 % and 8 %. They appeared in different orders in 2013, 2014 and 2015, but from then on remained in the same order: pharmaceutical products before chemical products and computers, electronics and optical products.
Member States' exports of other machinery and equipment
Germany is responsible for more than a third of EU exports of 'Machinery and equipment n.e.c.' which is more than twice as much as the second largest exporter Italy (see Figure 3). These exports make up 17.5 % of all German exports. Only Italy (21.9 %), Austria (18.5 %) and Luxembourg (18.3 %) have higher shares for this product group. Very low shares are found in Ireland (2.0 %) and Greece (2.9%) while the for the EU as whole the share is 13.7 %.
Member States' exports of motor vehicles
German dominance in motor vehicles is even larger. On its own it exports amount to over half of the EU's total exports in this product group. They make up just over a fifth (21.0 %) of all German exports, a share similar to that of the Czech Republic (20.3%). Only Slovakia (45.2 %) has a higher share. The shares in Cyprus, Malta, Greece and Ireland are all below 1 % of their total exports. For the EU as whole this share is 11.6 %
Member States' exports of pharmaceutical products
Germany also exports a quarter of the EU's pharmaceutical products which is about equal to that of the next two exporters, Ireland (14.7 %) and Belgium (12.7 %) combined. Close to 40 % of all Irish exports is in this product category. Double digit shares are also found in Belgium (19.1 %), Slovenia (13.9 %) and Croatia (11.2 %). Slovakia, Estonia and Luxembourg all have shares below 1% while the average in the EU is 8.5 %.
Member States' exports of chemical products
Member States' exports of computer, electronics and optical products
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources and availability
EU data comes from Eurostat’s COMEXT database.
COMEXT is the Eurostat 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 non-EU 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.
European statistics on international trade in goods are compiled according to the EU concepts and definitions and may, therefore, differ from national data published by Member States.
Product classification
Classification of products by activity (CPA) is a statistical classification of products and services obligatory for all EU Member States. CPA classifies products by activity in which they are produced. Products are transportable goods and services. The CPA is a product classification whose elements are related to activities as defined by NACE Rev. 2. Each product - whether it be a transportable or a non-transportable good or a service - is assigned to one single NACE Rev. 2 activity. The linkage to activities as defined by NACE Rev. 2 gives the CPA a structure parallel to that of NACE Rev. 2 at all levels distinguished by NACE Rev. 2.
Unit of measure
Trade values are expressed in millions (106) 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
Europe is the world's largest exporter of manufactured goods and services, and is itself the biggest export market for around 80 countries. Trade is an important indicator of Europe's prosperity and place in the world, and the bloc has become deeply integrated into global markets both for the products it sources and the exports it sells.
Because the 28 Member States of the European Union share a single market and a single external border, they also have a single trade policy. Both in the World Trade Organization, where the rules of international trade are agreed and enforced, and with individual trading partners, EU Member States speak and negotiate collectively.
See also
Further Eurostat information
Data visualisation
- Did you know? Some funny and curious facts about trade of the EU
- Top 5 partners in trade in goods
- My Country in a bubble
Main tables
- International trade in goods - long-term indicators (t_ext_go_lti)
- International trade of machinery and transport equipment (SITC 7), by declaring country (tet00009)
- Extra-EU28 trade of machinery and transport equipment (SITC 7), by Member State (tet00059)
- Extra-EU28 trade of machinery and transport equipment (SITC 7), by main partners (tet00030)
- International trade in goods - short-term indicators (t_ext_go_sti)
- Imports of goods - machinery and transport equipment (teiet170)
- Exports of goods - machinery and transport equipment (teiet070)
Database
- International trade in goods - aggregated data (ext_go_agg)
- International trade in goods - detailed data (detail)
Dedicated section
Methodology / Metadata
- International trade in goods statistics - background
- International trade in goods (ESMS metadata file — ext_go_esms)
- User guide on European statistics on international trade in goods
Source data for tables, figures and maps (MS Excel)
Other information — Legal background
- Regulation (EC) No 471/2009 of 6 May 2009 on Community statistics relating to external trade with non-member 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.
External links
Notes
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