Data from March 2026
Planned article update: April 2027
Highlights
In 2025, the euro area recorded a trade surplus of €150 billion.
Euro area trade with countries outside the Euro area increased between 2015 and 2025 with an average annual growth of 4.1% with imports (4.4%) growing faster than exports (3.7%).
The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the main characteristics of the extra-euro area trade in goods. All the series have been recalculated to include all the 20 members of the euro area in 2024.
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.
Increase in extra-euro area trade
Between 2015 and 2025 there was an increase in both extra euro area imports of goods (from €1 805 billion to €2 789 billion) and exports of goods (from €2 037 billion to €2 939 billion) - see Figure 1. This development decreased the trade in goods surplus of €232 billion in 2014 to €150 billion in 2025.
In 2025 both extra euro area imports (+2.8%) and exports (+2.3%) grew compared to the previous year - see Figure 2. Growth had been especially strong in 2021 and 2022 while in 2020 and 2023 imports and exports contracted. Between 2015 and 2025 total trade had an average annual growth of 4.1% with imports (4.4%) growing faster than exports (3.7%).
The euro area trade balance was positive in every year since 2015 with the exception of 2022 when high energy prices caused a deficit - see Figure 3. In all other years the deficit for energy was smaller than the combined surpluses for machinery and vehicles and chemicals and related products.
Main partners for extra-euro area trade
The share of euro area imports of goods from EU countries outside the euro area increased by 3.0 percentage points (pp) between 2015 and 2025. In the same period China's share increased by 2.4 pp while the share of the United Kingdom decreased by 3.9 pp.
Source: Eurostat (ext_lt_mainez)
The share of euro area exports of goods to EU countries outside the euro area increased by 3.5 pp between 2015 and 2025. In the same period the share of the United States increased by 3.3 pp, while the share of the United Kingdom decreased by 3.6 pp.
Source: Eurostat (ext_lt_mainez)
Intra- and extra-euro area trade in goods by EU countries
The share of intra-euro area imports varies greatly across members of the euro area. In 2025, it was above 60% in Luxembourg, Portugal, Austria, Latvia, Malta, Estonia and Croatia and below 40% in Bulgaria, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia. The high share of Luxembourg is explained by it being surrounded by euro area partners. Ireland's main trading partners are the United Kingdom and the United States while the Netherlands high share is due to the presence of the large port of Rotterdam.
In 2024, Belgium, Luxembourg and Portugal had shares above 60% for intra-euro area exports of goods. Germany, Finland, Ireland and Cyprus all had shares below 40%.
Extra-euro area trade in goods by EU countries
In 2025, the 4 largest importers of goods in the euro area accounted for two-thirds of all extra-EU imports. Germany accounted for 26.6% of imports, followed by the Netherlands (17.8%), France (11.2%) and Italy (11.1%).
The same 4 countries were also the largest exporters, accounting for 68% of extra-euro area exports. Germany accounted for 32.3% of exports, followed by Italy (12.6%), the Netherlands (12.3%) and France (11.0%).
Germany also had the largest trade surplus (€207 billion) with extra-euro area countries. It was one of 8 countries with a trade surplus. Thirteen countries had a trade deficit for extra-euro area trade which was highest in the Netherlands (€134 billion).
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources
Euro area 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 non-EU member 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.
Euro area data are compiled according to community guidelines and may, therefore, differ from national data published by EU Member States. Statistics on extra-euro area trade are calculated as the sum of trade of each of the nineteen members with countries outside the euro area. In other words, the euro area is considered as a single trading entity and trade flows are measured into and out of the area, but not among euro are members.
Among the euro area partners in this article there are countries belonging to the EU in the years mentioned such as Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom (until February 2020) and partners outside the EU (United States, China, Switzerland, Russia and Türkiye). The statistical concepts applicable to these two group of partners is different. Imports from non-EU trade partners are grouped by country of origin where imports from EU partners reflect the country of consignment. In practice this means that the goods imported from EU partners were physically transported from those countries, but part of these goods could have been of another origin. For this reason data on trade for these two groups are not fully comparable.
Unit of measurement Trade values are expressed in billion (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 euro area is a large and open trading bloc. This makes doing business in euro an attractive proposition for other trading nations, which can access a large market using one currency. Euro area companies also benefit because they can export and import in the global economy while paying, and being paid, in euro, reducing the risk of losses caused by global currency fluctuations.