In 2016, the United States (EUR610 billion, or 17.7% of total EU trade in goods) and China (EUR515 billion, or 14.9%) continued to be the two main goods trading partners of the European Union (EU), well ahead of Switzerland (EUR264 billion, or 7.6%), Russia (EUR191 billion, or 5.5%), Turkey (EUR145 billion, or 4.2%) and Japan (EUR125 billion, or 3.6%).
In almost all EU Member States, the main partner for exports of goods in 2016 was another member of the European Union, except for Germany, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom (the United States was the main destination of exports) as well as Lithuania (Russia).
Overall, Germany was the main destination of goods exports for 16 Member States and among the top three in 22 Member States.
In 2016, the 28 EU Member States exported a total of EUR4,855 billion of goods, of which EUR3,110 billion (or 64%) were destined for another Member State of the EU (intra-EU trade).
With about three-quarters or more of goods exported to other EU Member States, Slovakia (85% intra-EU in total exports), the Czech Republic (84%), Luxembourg (83%), Hungary (81%), Poland (80%), the Netherlands (76%), Portugal, Romania and Slovenia (all 75%) as well as Estonia (74%) recorded in 2016 the highest shares of intra-EU exports. At the opposite end of the scale, Malta (39%), Cyprus (46%) and the United Kingdom (47%) were the only Member States that exported more goods to non-EU countries than within the EU in 2016.
In 2016, the 28 EU Member States imported a total of EUR4,736 billion of goods, of which EUR3,029 billion (or 64%) came from another EU Member State (intra-EU trade).
In 2016, machinery and transport equipment, other manufactured goods and chemicals represented the main categories of product traded by the EU.