Transport services exports worth €245 billion in 2023

In 2023, EU countries exported €245 billion worth of transport services to countries outside of the EU, marking a decline of 21.5% compared with 2022. This fall was mainly due to a decrease in sea transport.

However, sea transport remained the largest services category and accounted for half of the exports (€122 billion, 49.7%). Air transport ranked second with €71 billion (28.8%), followed by other modes of transport with €40 billion (16.5%), and postal and courier services with €12 billion (5.0%).

Source dataset: bop_its6_det

In 2023, air transport was the only transport service which experienced growth in value (8.5%) compared with 2022, while sea transport (-36.8%), other modes of transport (-3.5%) and postal and courier services (-3.3%) all recorded a decline.

The United States and the United Kingdom: main export partners in 2023

The largest exports to extra-EU countries in 2023 were to the United States (€43.1 billion, 17.6% of the total), the United Kingdom (€37.4 billion, 15.2%), and Switzerland (€22.4 billion, 9.1%). China (€15.7 billion, 6.4%) and Singapore (€11.3 billion, 4.6%) completed the top 5.

Source dataset: bop_its6_det

Sea transport represented the majority of exports to Singapore (83.2%) and China (65.1%). Sea transport and air transport accounted for almost equally 45.7% and 45.6% of EU exports of transport services to American customers. 

Trade with the United Kingdom exhibited a more balanced distribution, with air transport accounting for 37.2%, other modes of transport for 35.2%, and sea transport for 22.2% of exports of transport services. Other modes of transport (43.4%) and sea transport (39.7%) had the biggest share of exports of transport services to Switzerland.