EU and U.S. – Top Trading Partners

The United States continued to be the European Union’s top trading partner in 2015, registering €619 billion or 18 percent of total EU trade in goods. China ranked second, with €521 billion or 15 percent of total EU trade in goods. Both the U.S. and China were well ahead of Switzerland and Russia, which ranked third and fourth for merchandise trade with the European Union.

The U.S. is the EU’s number one destination for exports and ranks second for imports into the EU. China occupies the opposite position—the second destination for EU exports and first for EU imports. Recent trends for these top trading partners show: a slowdown for the U.S. until 2011, followed by a steady increase to the present; and, a doubling of China’s share of EU merchandise trade since 2002.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:  Eurostat Announcement, March 31, 2016