EU-27 trade in motor cars in 2007

The car industry remains of prime importance for the EU: new and used motor cars accounted for close to 6% of the total value of all extra-EU exports in 2007, and well over 2% of the total value of all extra-EU imports. In 2007, the EU-27 exported motor cars worth €71.1 billion. Imports in that same year amounted to roughly half that value (€33.6 billion). The EU trade surplus amounted to €37.5 billion. Over one third (35%) of all extra-EU motor car imports in 2007 came from Japan, followed by South Korea (20%), the United States (19%) and Turkey (13%). Chinese imports, at a low level in absolute terms, have increased fastest in recent years. In 2007, the USA remained by a large margin the main EU partner for motor car exports (35% of the total), ahead of Russia (9%) Switzerland and Japan (both 6%). Since 2000, EU motor car exports to Russia have developed particularly rapidly. Germany was responsible for over half (57%) of total extra-EU motor car exports and was the only Member State to show a positive trade balance of noticeable size. At the same time, Germany was also the biggest importer of motor cars in 2007: about one quarter of the total value of extra-EU-27 imports can be ascribed to Germany, well ahead of Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom.