EU - Asia trade statistics

The EU25 deficit in trade with the ASEM partners grew from 107 bn in 1999 to 175 bn in 2005. The ASEM partners accounted for around 22% of the EU25's total external trade in goods in 2005 - 15% of exports and 28% of imports. The total share of the ASEM partners has not changed significantly compared to 1999, since the increased importance of China in EU25 trade has been counterbalanced by a reduction in the share of trade with Japan.

On the occasion of the sixth ASEM Summit, which will take place on 10 and 11 September 2006 in Helsinki, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, issues data on trade in goods between the 25 Member States of the EU and the 13 Asian countries taking part in ASEM.

Machinery and vehicles account for more than half of EU25 trade with ASEM partners

EU25 trade with the ASEM partners is dominated by manufactured goods, which accounted for around 90% of both imports and exports in 2005. As a result, the deficit of 175 bn registered for manufactured goods makes up nearly all of the deficit with the ASEM partners.

Half of EU25 exports to the ASEM partners in 2005 were machinery and vehicles², and a further quarter were other manufactured articles². These same two groups of products accounted for 57% and 32% of imports respectively. At the detailed level, the main EU25 exports to the ASEM partners were aircraft, motor cars and parts, electronic circuits and medicine, while the main imports were mobile phones, computers and parts (including monitors and printers), digital cameras and motor cars.

Germany: one third of EU25 exports to ASEM partners, and one fifth of imports

Among the EU25 Member States, Germany (54 bn euro, or 34% of the total) was by far the largest exporter to the ASEM partners in 2005, followed by France (22 bn or 13%), the United Kingom (19 bn or 12%) and Italy (15 bn or 9%). Imports from the ASEM partners were less concentrated. Germany (71 bn or 21%) was the largest importer, followed by the United Kingdom (56 bn or 17%), the Netherlands³ (54 bn or 16%), and France (31 bn or 9%).

Only Ireland recorded a small surplus in trade with the ASEM partners in 2005, while the largest deficits were registered by the Netherlands³ (-43 bn), the United Kingdom (-38 bn), Germany (-18 bn) and Spain (-16 bn).

China: nearly half of EU25 imports from ASEM partners, and one third of exports

Among the ASEM partners, China (52 bn euro, or 32% of the total) was the leading destination for EU25 exports in 2005, followed by Japan (44 bn or 27%). The leading source of EU25 imports from the ASEM partners was China (158 bn or 47%), followed by Japan (73 bn or 22%). Except for a small surplus with Brunei, the EU25 recorded deficits with the other ASEM partners, the highest deficits being registered with China (-106 bn), Japan (-30 bn) and South Korea (-13 bn).

EU25 and Member States trade with the ASEM partners

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EU25 trade with the ASEM partners by product

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EU25 trade with the ASEM partners
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1. The 13 Asian countries taking part in ASEM are China, Japan, South Korea and the 10 members of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations): Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
2. Machinery and vehicles includes power generating and industrial machinery, computers, electric and electronic parts and equipment, road vehicles and parts, ships, airplanes and railway equipment.

Other manufactured articles include leather, rubber, wood, paper, textiles, metals, building fixtures and fittings, furniture, clothes, shoes and accessories, scientific instruments, clocks, watches and cameras.

1. Dutch imports, and therefore the trade deficit, are over-estimated because of the “Rotterdam effect”, where goods destined for the rest of the EU arrive and are recorded in harmonised EU external trade statistics in Dutch ports. This then has a positive effect on the external trade balances with the ASEM partners of those Member States to which the goods are re-exported, as these shipments would be recorded as intra-EU trade with the Netherlands, rather than extra-EU trade with the ASEM partners.