
Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Get in touch with us nowAs of 2023, the country from which EU member states imported the most was from Germany, followed by the Netherlands. In terms of non-EU exporters to the EU, China is currently the largest trading partner, accounting for 8 percent of all imports in 2023 - a tenfold increase in its share of EU imports since 1988. Other exporters who have grown to be important trading partners for EU countries in recent decades include the post-communist countries of Poland and Czechia, both of whom joined the EU in 2004. Poland's share of EU imports has more than doubled, from 1.4 percent to 3.8 percent, in the period since its entry into the EU, while Czechia's has increased from 1.3 percent to 2.8 percent over the same period.
Several exporters have declined in relative importance for EU countries during this period, with the United Kingdom, United States, France, and Italy seeing their shares decline. The United Kingdom in particular has seen its share of EU imports drop to nearly a third of their 1997 level, when the UK made up 7.2 percent of all imports into EU countries. The UK reported a significant drop in 2021, the first full year after the country left the EU, however, the UK's share of EU imports has slightly risen in subsequent years.
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Overview of trade in Europe
EU Exports
EU Imports
Intra-EU Trade
Extra EU Trade
Non-EU trade
* For commercial use only
Basic Account
Starter Account
Professional Account
1 All prices do not include sales tax. The account requires an annual contract and will renew after one year to the regular list price.