The European Union went from consistently running a trade surplus since 2012, to running a trade deficit worth almost 430 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 suplus in 2023, when it recorded a suplus of almost 38 billion euros.

Euro Area recorded a trade surplus of 1032.80 EUR Million in January 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.

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 Trade Balance: EU 27E: China: Total data was reported at -28.633 EUR bn in Nov 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of -32.984 EUR bn for Oct 2024. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: China: Total data is updated monthly, averaging -10.918 EUR bn from Jan 2002 (Median) to Nov 2024, with 275 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 has had a growing trade balance with the United States since the turn of the millennium. While in 1999, the EU recorded a monthly trade balance with the U.S. as low as 200 million euros a month, the monthly trade balance in the most recent period recorded was over 12 billion euros. Both exports and imports have increased over this period, with a particularly notable uptick following the coronavirus pandemic.

European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Africa: Total data was reported at -1.178 EUR bn in Nov 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of -0.180 EUR bn for Oct 2024. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Africa: Total data is updated monthly, averaging -0.369 EUR bn from Jan 2002 (Median) to Nov 2024, with 275 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.005 EUR bn in Apr 2016 and a record low of -6.272 EUR bn in Aug 2022. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Africa: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.JA024: Eurostat: Trade Statistics: By SITC: European Union: Africa.

European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: SA: Total data was reported at 0.656 EUR bn in Nov 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.007 EUR bn for Oct 2024. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: SA: Total data is updated monthly, averaging 0.082 EUR bn from Jan 2002 (Median) to Nov 2024, with 275 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.899 EUR bn in Dec 2015 and a record low of -2.289 EUR bn in Sep 2022. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: SA: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.JA041: Eurostat: Trade Statistics: By SITC: European Union: Saudi Arabia.

EU UK: Trade Balance: swda data was reported at -13,404.400 EUR mn in May 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of -13,219.400 EUR mn for Apr 2018. EU UK: Trade Balance: swda data is updated monthly, averaging -9,686.400 EUR mn from Jan 1999 (Median) to May 2018, with 233 observations. The data reached an all-time high of -89.000 EUR mn in May 2013 and a record low of -21,584.900 EUR mn in Sep 2016. EU UK: Trade Balance: swda data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.Eurostat: Trade Balance: Seasonally and Working Day Adjusted.

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 848 billion dollars. China was the EU's second largest trading partner, however, in contrast to the substantial trade surplus which the EU has with the United States, the EU has a large trade deficit with China. In 2022, the EU imported 292 billion Euros more worth of goods from China than it exported to the east Asian country. Other prominent trade partners in 2022 included the UK, Switzerland, and Turkey.

European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Russia: Other Goods data was reported at -0.143 EUR bn in Nov 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of -0.230 EUR bn for Oct 2024. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Russia: Other Goods data is updated monthly, averaging -1.220 EUR bn from Jan 2002 (Median) to Nov 2024, with 275 observations. The data reached an all-time high of -0.143 EUR bn in Nov 2024 and a record low of -3.186 EUR bn in Apr 2022. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Russia: Other Goods data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.JA040: Eurostat: Trade Statistics: By SITC: European Union: Russia.

European Union Trade Balance: Intra EU 27E: Consumer Goods data was reported at 4.993 EUR bn in Nov 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.524 EUR bn for Oct 2024. European Union Trade Balance: Intra EU 27E: Consumer Goods data is updated monthly, averaging 2.343 EUR bn from Jan 2002 (Median) to Nov 2024, with 275 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.031 EUR bn in Jan 2023 and a record low of -1.188 EUR bn in Dec 2020. European Union Trade Balance: Intra EU 27E: Consumer Goods data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.JA001: Eurostat: Trade Statistics: By BEC.

Germany - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance was EUR-23408.00 Million in December of 2023, 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 February 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-38064.10 Million in December of 2022.

Poland - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance was EUR23566.50 Million in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Poland - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance - last updated from the EUROSTAT on March of 2025. Historically, Poland - Intra-EU trade: Trade balance reached a record high of EUR32388.10 Million in December of 2023 and a record low of EUR-4478.60 Million in December of 2011.

EU EE: Trade Balance: Intermediate Goods data was reported at -44.800 EUR mn in May 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of -12.000 EUR mn for Apr 2018. EU EE: Trade Balance: Intermediate Goods data is updated monthly, averaging -48.800 EUR mn from Jan 1999 (Median) to May 2018, with 233 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 41.100 EUR mn in Feb 2018 and a record low of -140.800 EUR mn in Dec 2014. EU EE: Trade Balance: Intermediate Goods data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Estonia – Table EE.Eurostat: Trade Balance.

European Union - Extra-EU trade: Trade balance in partnership with India was EUR-20046.30 Million in December of 2022, 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 in partnership with India - last updated from the EUROSTAT on February of 2025. Historically, European Union - Extra-EU trade: Trade balance in partnership with India reached a record high of EUR3112.50 Million in December of 2010 and a record low of EUR-20046.30 Million in December of 2022.

Italy - Extra-EU trade: Trade balance was EUR65075.20 Million in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - Extra-EU trade: Trade balance - last updated from the EUROSTAT on March of 2025. Historically, Italy - Extra-EU trade: Trade balance reached a record high of EUR65075.20 Million in December of 2024 and a record low of EUR-25847.10 Million in December of 2022.

European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Intra EU: Total data was reported at 8.125 EUR bn in Nov 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 10.492 EUR bn for Oct 2024. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Intra EU: Total data is updated monthly, averaging 5.869 EUR bn from Jan 2002 (Median) to Nov 2024, with 275 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.115 EUR bn in Jan 2023 and a record low of -13.179 EUR bn in Dec 2021. European Union Trade Balance: EU 27E: Intra 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.JA019: Eurostat: Trade Statistics: By SITC: European Union: Intra European Union.

In 2024, the European Union exported goods worth approximately 213.3 billion euros to China, around 10 billion euros less than in the previous year. That year, the EU recorded a trade deficit of more than 304 billion euros with China.

Graph and download economic data for International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Trade Balance: Commodities for OECD (OECDXTNTVA01CXMLM) from Jan 1999 to Dec 2024 about OECD Europe, trade, and Europe.