EU Internal Trade: monthly imports for select EU member states 1999-2024

For most European Union member states, the period since 1999 has been marked by increasing trade with other EU countries, as European integration has been deepened and the European economy has grown. This is notably the case for the imports of the EU's medium-sized economies, with Poland, Czechia, and Austria showing strong export growth in recent years.

Poland is the member state out of these which has experienced the most dramatic increase in imports, as in 1999 only Czechia imported less out of these countries. As of 2022, however, Poland now imports roughly as much as Spain, an economy which has traditionally been much larger than Poland. The growth of the newer member states in Central & Eastern Europe to be not only important intra-EU exporters, but also importers of goods from throughout the union is essential for future economic growth in Europe.