Germany, the Netherlands, and Ireland are the three countries with the greatest goods trade surplus with the rest of the world in 2024. At the other end of the scale, France, Spain, and Greece run large trade deficits vis-a-vis the rest of world.

This dataset provides values for BALANCE OF TRADE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

The United States is the European Union's biggest trading partner as of 2023, with the total value of trade between the EU and the North American country exceeding ****billion dollars. China was the EU's second-largest trading partner, however, in contrast to the substantial trade surplus that the EU has with the United States, the EU has a large trade deficit with China. In 2022, the EU imported *** billion euros worth of goods from China than it exported to the East Asian country. Other prominent trade partners included the UK, Switzerland, and Turkey.

Key information about EU's Trade Balance

• EU's Trade Balance recorded a surplus of 18.3 USD bn in Sep 2025, compared with a surplus of 8.5 USD bn in the previous month
• EU's Trade Balance data is updated monthly, available from Jan 2002 to Sep 2025, with an averaged value of 20.0 USD bn
• The data reached an all-time high of 30.8 USD bn in Dec 2020 and a record low of -57.9 USD bn in Aug 2022

• In the latest reports, EU's Total Exports reached 259.9 USD bn in Sep 2025, an increase of 0.9% YoY (year-on-year)
• Total Imports recorded 241.6 USD bn in Sep 2025, an increase of 0.9% YoY (year-on-year)

This statistic shows the trade balance of the European Union from 2018 to 2024. The trade balance is the value of exports minus the value of imports. In 2024, the trade balance surplus of the European Union amounted to approximately 150 billion euros.

The European Union has moved from a trade deficit for goods during the period from 2004 until the end of the Great Recession (2008-2010), to a substantial trade surplus over the later 2010s and early 2020s. The EU had been running a trade deficit as consumption was high during the economic boom which led up to the recession and Eurozone crisis (2010-2012), while the Euro had been appreciating against other currencies during this time, making exports less attractive for trading partners and imports less expensive in Eurozone countries. With the dampening of global demand during the recession, Europe's deficit contracted, with the dramatic reduction in imports outweighing the reduction in exports to the rest of the world. Later, during the 2010s, the EU began to run a trade surplus due to the suppressed demand for imports in the EU via economic policies which favored austerity and lower consumption, a depreciating Euro after 2014 which made EU exports cheaper for trading partners, and structural policies of EU member states, such as Germany, who have prioritized the competitiveness of their export sectors.

European Union recorded a trade surplus of 16285.50 EUR Million in September of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - European Union Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Euro Area recorded a trade surplus of 19438.40 EUR Million in September of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Euro Area Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: China: Total data was reported at -26.145 EUR bn in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of -31.243 EUR bn for Jan 2025. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: China: Total data is updated monthly, averaging -10.950 EUR bn from Jan 2002 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 278 observations. The data reached an all-time high of -2.454 EUR bn in Jun 2002 and a record low of -41.093 EUR bn in Sep 2022. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: China: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.JA030: Eurostat: Trade Statistics: By SITC: European Union: China.

The European Union went from consistently running a trade surplus since 2012, to running a trade deficit worth almost 436.1 billion euros in 2022. This sudden surge in the bloc's deficit was largely caused by a more than doubling of the cost of fuel imports due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the EU's subsequent boycott of Russian energy exports. While in theory the EU's trade balance should only reflect its trade with countries outside of the union, as internal EU exports and imports should balance out, due to accounting irregularities the EU in practice runs a trade surplus with itself in most years. Following the substantial trade deficit opened up in 2022, the EU returned to running a trade surplus in 2023, when it recorded a surplus of almost 34.4 billion euros. In 2024, the EU is projected to run a trade surplus of approximately 146.2 billion euros.

European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Extra EU: Total data was reported at 26.264 EUR bn in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 18.849 EUR bn for Jan 2025. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Extra EU: Total data is updated monthly, averaging 5.332 EUR bn from Jan 2002 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 278 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26.264 EUR bn in Feb 2025 and a record low of -13.913 EUR bn in Apr 2022. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Extra EU: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.JA020: Eurostat: Trade Statistics: By SITC: European Union: European Countries Outside of EU.

International trade in goods statistics (ITGS) published by Eurostat measure the value and quantity of goods traded between the EU Member States (intra-EU trade) and goods traded by the EU Member States with non-EU countries (extra-EU trade). ‘Goods’ means all movable property including electricity. ‘European’ means that the statistics are compiled on the basis of the concepts and definitions set out in EU legislation. ‘National’ statistics, i.e. statistics published at national level by the Member States, are compiled on the basis of national rules which may differ from EU rules. European ITGS are the official harmonised source of information about exports, imports and the trade balances of the EU, its Member States and the euro area.

Aggregated versus detailed data

ITGS are published through different datasets grouped into two categories:

• Aggregated data refer to macroeconomic indicators for the EU and euro area. Monthly (short-term indicators) and annual (long-term indicators, not part of this data collection) data are aggregated by broad product categories. Broad product categories are defined as one-digit codes of the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) or aggregates of the Broad Economic Categories (BEC).
• Detailed data refer to the most detailed level of the following product nomenclatures: the Combined Nomenclature (CN), the SITC, the BEC, the Classification of Products by Activity (CPA) and the Standard Goods Classification for Transport Statistics/Revised (NSTR). Detailed data also contain product aggregations at higher levels.

Statistical dimensions

Data periodicity (monthly or yearly) and product nomenclature (CN, SITC, BEC or CPA) differ depending on the dataset, but the following statistical fields are always available:

• reporting country: country or geo-economic area such as EU or euro area;
• partner country: EU Member State, non-EU country or geo-economic area;
• reference period: month and/or year;
• trade flows: import and export; and
• product according to the relevant classification.

Besides the dimensions listed above, specific datasets contain information on the mode of transport (e.g. by sea, by air or by road) or the statistical procedure (normal trade versus trade for processing activities).

Germany - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance was EUR-14371.90 Million in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Germany - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance - last updated from the EUROSTAT on November of 2025. Historically, Germany - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance reached a record high of EUR47292.40 Million in December of 2010 and a record low of EUR-38459.20 Million in December of 2022.

European Union - Balance of trade was EUR15600.60 Million in September of 2025, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for European Union - Balance of trade - last updated from the EUROSTAT on November of 2025. Historically, European Union - Balance of trade reached a record high of EUR25225.60 Million in March of 2025 and a record low of EUR-56370.50 Million in August of 2022.

European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Extra EU: Other Manufactured Products data was reported at 6.015 EUR bn in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.124 EUR bn for Jan 2025. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Extra EU: Other Manufactured Products data is updated monthly, averaging 3.835 EUR bn from Jan 2002 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 278 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.128 EUR bn in Nov 2024 and a record low of 1.548 EUR bn in Jan 2004. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Extra EU: Other Manufactured Products data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.JA020: Eurostat: Trade Statistics: By SITC: European Union: European Countries Outside of EU.

Italy - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance was EUR-9383.90 Million in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance - last updated from the EUROSTAT on December of 2025. Historically, Italy - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance reached a record high of EUR6906.10 Million in December of 2020 and a record low of EUR-14911.30 Million in December of 2010.

European Union - Balance of trade in partnership with Extra-EU was EUR6080.50 Trade value in million euro (SA) in August of 2025, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for European Union - Balance of trade in partnership with Extra-EU - last updated from the EUROSTAT on November of 2025. Historically, European Union - Balance of trade in partnership with Extra-EU reached a record high of EUR25326.90 Trade value in million euro (SA) in March of 2025 and a record low of EUR-56370.50 Trade value in million euro (SA) in August of 2022.

Latvia - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance was EUR-4943.20 Million in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Latvia - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance - last updated from the EUROSTAT on December of 2025. Historically, Latvia - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance reached a record high of EUR-1944.70 Million in December of 2010 and a record low of EUR-7160.00 Million in December of 2023.

European Union - Extra-EU trade: Trade balance was EUR141959.70 Million in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for European Union - Extra-EU trade: Trade balance - last updated from the EUROSTAT on November of 2025. Historically, European Union - Extra-EU trade: Trade balance reached a record high of EUR264401.80 Million in December of 2016 and a record low of EUR-435505.10 Million in December of 2022.

The European Union's balance of trade in goods is driven by a few of its largest economies. Germany, the EU's pre-eminent economic power, has run a large trade surplus with countries outside the EU over the past two decades, with this surplus more than doubling after the global financial crisis and great recession. Italy also emerged as a large net exporter over the 2010s, along with Ireland, Sweden and France. On the other hand, the Netherlands has by far run the largest trade deficit with non-EU countries among the bloc. Other notable net goods importers among the EU member states include Spain and Poland.