Between 2000 and 2008, EU27 exports of goods to Canada grew from 21.1 billion euro to 26.1 bn, while EU27 imports from Canada rose from 19.0 bn to 23.8 bn. As a result the EU27 surplus in trade with Canada remained nearly stable, at 2.1 bn in 2000 and 2.3 bn in 2008. The share of Canada in the EU27’s total external trade in goods has fallen between 2000 and 2008. In 2008, Canada accounted for 2.0% of EU27 exports and 1.5% of EU27 imports, and was the EU27’s eleventh most important trading partner.
On the occasion of the European Union – Canada summit, which took place on Wednesday the 6th of May 2009 in Prague, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, issued data on trade and investments between the EU and Canada.
Germany has largest surplus and United Kingdom largest deficit Among the EU27 Member States, Germany (6.2 bn euro or 24% of the total) was the largest exporter to Canada in 2008, followed by the United Kingdom (4.6 bn or 18%), France (2.8 bn or 11%) and Italy (2.6 bn or 10%). The United Kingdom (7.4 bn or 31%) was by far the largest importer, followed by Germany (2.8 bn or 12%), the Netherlands (2.6 bn or 11%) and France (2.3 bn or 10%). The largest surpluses were observed in Germany (+3.4 bn), Italy and Sweden (both +0.8 bn), while the largest deficits were registered in the United Kingdom (-2.8 bn) and the Netherlands (-0.9 bn).
In 2008, nearly two-fifths of EU27 exports to Canada were machinery and vehicles, while chemicals and other manufactured articles each accounted for around a fifth of exports. Machinery and vehicles made up around a quarter of imports, and crude materials and other manufactured articles each accounted for around a fifth of imports. At the detailed level, the main EU27 exports to Canada were medicine, motor cars, crude and refined oil and aircraft engines, while the main imports were aircraft, refined oil, diamonds, coal, nickel and iron ore.