The EU's biggest import partners 2002-2023

The European Union has experienced a shift in its biggest trade partners since the early 2000s. Over the past two decades, the share of EU imports flowing from China has more than doubled, from around 8 percent in 2002 to over 20 percent in 2023, making China the EU's largest external import partner. At the same time, the proportion of total imports coming from the United Kingdom, which was historically a large importer to EU countries (the UK was an EU member state until 2020), have more than halved, from 18 percent to 7 percent.

This secular trend existed before the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016, however, there has been a notable drop in imports from the UK since Brexit was enacted in 2020. By contrast the share of the EU's import trade taken by the U.S., Switzerland, and the Rest of World have remained relatively stable over this period. The share of exports coming from Russia was growing steadily in the period before 2014, after which the EU imposed economic sanctions on Russia due to the illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Imports from Russia collapsed in 2023, due to the effect of the additional economic sanctions placed on Russia in response to the full scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.The Russian Federation is now only the tenth largest exporter to the EU, after India, Japan, and South Korea.

Annual share of EU goods imports from non-EU countries by trade partner from 2002 to 2023

Characteristic	Rest of world	China	United States	United Kingdom	Switzerland	Norway	Turkey	South Korea	Japan	India	Russia
2023	33.1%	20.5%	13.8%	7.1%	5.5%	4.7%	3.8%	2.9%	2.8%	2.6%	2%
2022	31.4%	20.9%	11.9%	7.2%	4.8%	5.4%	3.3%	2.4%	2.3%	2.3%	6.7%
2021	30.1%	22.2%	11%	7%	5.8%	3.5%	3.7%	2.6%	2.9%	2.2%	7.7%
2020	28.9%	22.4%	11.7%	9.9%	6.3%	2.5%	3.6%	2.6%	3.2%	1.9%	5.5%
2019	30%	18.7%	12.1%	10%	5.7%	2.8%	3.6%	2.4%	3.2%	2%	7.5%
2018	31.1%	17.9%	11.2%	10.2%	5.3%	3.2%	3.5%	2.4%	3.1%	2%	8.4%
2017	30.5%	18.2%	11.5%	10.8%	5.6%	3%	3.5%	2.5%	3.2%	2%	7.8%
2016	29.9%	18.7%	12.2%	11.3%	6%	3%	3.5%	2.2%	3.4%	2%	7.1%
2015	30.2%	18%	12%	11.2%	5.7%	3.5%	3.2%	2.2%	3.1%	1.9%	7.9%
2014	31.2%	15.8%	10.4%	11.2%	5.4%	3.9%	2.9%	2%	3%	1.8%	10.7%
2013	31.5%	14.7%	10.1%	11.3%	5.3%	4.1%	2.7%	1.9%	3%	1.8%	12.2%
2012	32.5%	14.7%	9.8%	11.1%	5.1%	4.2%	2.5%	2%	3.2%	1.8%	12%
2011	31.8%	15.4%	9.3%	11.4%	5.2%	4%	2.6%	2%	3.6%	2%	11.6%
2010	30.4%	16.7%	9.7%	11.5%	5.3%	3.8%	2.6%	2.4%	3.9%	1.9%	10.6%
2009	29.2%	15.5%	10.7%	12.2%	5.8%	4.4%	2.7%	2.5%	4.2%	1.8%	9.6%
2008	31.7%	13.9%	9.6%	12%	4.8%	4.5%	2.6%	2.3%	4.2%	1.6%	11.1%
2007	30.2%	14.1%	10%	13.5%	5.1%	4.1%	2.8%	2.6%	4.7%	1.5%	9.8%
2006	30.6%	12.4%	10.2%	14%	5%	4.5%	2.7%	2.7%	4.9%	1.4%	10.1%
2005	30.7%	11.6%	11.1%	14.6%	5.3%	4.2%	2.6%	2.6%	5.2%	1.3%	9.1%
2004	29.6%	10.6%	12.1%	15.9%	5.7%	4.2%	2.7%	2.6%	6.1%	1.3%	7.7%
2003	28.7%	9.5%	13.1%	16.6%	5.9%	4.5%	2.5%	2.4%	6.4%	1.2%	7.2%
2002	29.2%	7.8%	14.7%	17.9%	6%	4.2%	2.2%	2.1%	6.4%	1.1%	6.5%

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Release date

April 2024

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Region

Europe, EU

Survey time period

2002 to 2023

Supplementary notes

Totals may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

*China excluding Hong Kong.

**United Kingdom was a member of the European Union until 2020, but is included as extra-EU for all years in this series.

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