EU-Rusland Top: handelstekort daalt in eerste helft 2009 (en)

STAT/09/163

16 November 2009

EU - Russia Summit

EU27 deficit in trade in goods with Russia halved in first six months of 2009

Russia third trading partner of EU27.

In the first half of 2009 the value of EU27 exports to Russia fell to 31 bn euro, compared with 51 bn in the first half of 2008, and imports decreased to 52 bn from 91 bn. As a result, the EU27 trade deficit with Russia dropped from 40 bn in the first half of 2008 to 21 bn in the same period of 2009. This reduction was mainly due to a significant decrease in the energy deficit (-37 bn compared with -62 bn), partially offset by a lower surplus for machinery and vehicles (+13 bn compared with +25 bn).

The fall in EU27 trade with Russia recorded between the first halves of 2008 and 2009 was steeper than the general downward trend in the EU27 's total external trade, leading to a decrease in the share of Russia in the EU27 's total external trade in goods to 6% of exports and 9% of imports in the first half of 2009, compared with 8% and 12% respectively in the first half of 2008, although Russia remains the EU27 's third most important trading partner, after the USA and China . It should be noted that between 2000 and 2008, EU27 trade in goods with Russia had more than tripled in value, and the share of Russia in the EU27 's total external trade in goods doubled.

On the occasion of the 24 th European Union - Russia summit, which will take place on 18 November in Stockholm , Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities , issues data on trade in goods between Russia and the EU . Data on trade in services and investments can be found in the recent News Release 1 published for the previous EU - Russia summit.

Germany, the Netherlands and Italy: largest trading partners of Russia

Among the EU27 Member States, Germany (9.6 bn euro or 31% of EU exports) was by far the largest exporter to Russia in the first half of 2009, followed by Italy (3.1 bn or 10%), France (2.3 bn or 8%), the Netherlands 2 (2.1 bn or 7%) and Finland (2.0 bn or 6%). Germany (10.4 bn or 20%) was also the largest importer, followed by the Netherlands 2 (6.2 bn or 12%), Italy (5.9 bn or 11%), Poland (4.2 bn or 8%) and France (4.0 bn or 8%).

Most Member States recorded deficits in trade with Russia in the first half of 2009, the largest being observed in the Netherlands 2 (-4.1 bn euro), Italy (-2.8 bn), Poland (-2.6 bn) and France (-1.6 bn). The highest surplus was recorded in Austria (+0.3 bn).

More than 40% of EU27 exports to Russia in the first half of 2009 were machinery and vehicles 3 and another quarter were other manufactured goods 3 , while energy accounted for nearly three quarters of imports. At the detailed level, the main EU27 exports to Russia included medicine, motor cars and parts, aircraft and mobile phones, while the main imports included oil, gas and coal.

EU27 Member States' trade in goods with Russia

million euro

EU27 trade in goods with Russia by product

million euro

EU27 trade in goods with Russia

million euro

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  See News Release 74/2009 of 19 May 2009: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/6-19052009-BP/EN/6-19052009-BP-EN.PDF .
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  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 Russia 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 Russia. To a lesser extent, Belgian trade figures are similarly over-estimated.
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  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 goods include leather, rubber, wood, paper, textiles, metals, building fixtures and fittings, furniture, clothes, shoes and accessories, scientific instruments, clocks, watches and cameras.

Published by: Eurostat Press Office

Tim ALLEN

Tel: +352-4301-33 444

eurostat-pressoffice@ec.europa.eu

For further information on trade in goods data :

Gilberto GAMBINI

Tel: +352-4301-35 806

estat-etfree@ec.europa.eu

Eurostat News Releases on the Internet: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat