Back Record peak in EU’s trade balance in services

20 February 2020

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In 2018, EU exports of services to countries outside of the EU were valued at €945 billion, while extra-EU imports were valued at €795 billion. Over the last decade, EU ran a trade surplus for services, with a peak in 2018 at €149 billion.

 

International trade in services, extra-EU, 2018

Source dataset: bop_eu6_q

 

In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the value of world trade in services. This pattern was also observed across the EU, with the value of exports increasing overall by 73% over the last decade and the value of imports by 59%.

 

USA and the UK: leading trade partners

In 2018, the EU’s leading trade partners for services were the United States and the United Kingdom. The United States was the destination for almost a fifth (19%) of the services exported from the EU Member States and was the origin of almost a quarter (24%) of the services imported into the EU from non-member countries. The United Kingdom closely followed (21% of extra-EU exports and 20% of extra-EU imports of services), ahead of Switzerland (11%, 7%).

 

Top partners for EU international trade in services, 2018

Source dataset: bop_eu6_q

 

For more information on the statistics available in this area, take a look at the overview of international trade in services statistics.

 

Note: 

  • Norway and Singapore are recalculated from annual international trade in services data.
  • The European Union (EU) includes 27 EU Member States. The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020. Further information is published here.
  • List of offshore financial centres can be consulted here.

 

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