Between 2000 and 2009, EU27 exports of goods to Japan fell in value by around 20%, from 45 bn euro to 36 bn, while EU27 imports from Japan decreased by almost 40%, from 92 bn to 56 bn. As a result, the EU27 deficit in trade with Japan decreased from 47 bn in 2000 to 20 bn in 2009 and the share of Japan in the EU27's total external trade in goods fell significantly. In 2009, Japan accounted for 3% of EU27 exports and 5% of EU27 imports, and was the EU27's sixth most important trading partner.

On the occasion of the 19th European Union - Japan summit, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, issues data on trade in goods and services and FDI flows between the EU and Japan.

Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom largest EU traders with Japan

Among the EU27 Member States, Germany (10.8 bn euro or 30% of the total) was by far the largest exporter to Japan in 2009, followed by France (4.8 bn or 13%), the United Kingdom (3.8 bn or 10%) and Italy (3.7 bn or 10%). Germany (13.8 bn or 25%) was also the largest importer, followed by the Netherlands (8.7 bn or 16%) and the United Kingdom (7.0 bn or 12%).

Most Member States recorded trade deficits with Japan in 2009. The largest were observed in the Netherlands1 (-6.2 bn), Belgium1 (-4.3 bn), the United Kingdom (-3.2 bn), Germany (-3.0 bn) and Spain (-1.2 bn). The highest surpluses were registered in Ireland (+1.3 bn) and Denmark (+1.0 bn).

Nearly a third of EU27 exports to Japan in 2009 were machinery and vehicles2. Other manufactured articles and chemicals each accounted for around a quarter of EU27 exports. Machinery and vehicles accounted for two thirds of imports and other manufactured articles for almost a fifth. At the detailed level, the main EU27 exports to Japan were medicine, motor cars and parts and pork meat, while the main imports were motor cars and parts, printers and parts and digital cameras.

Almost half of EU27 surplus in services comes from financial services

In 2009, the EU27 exported 16.5 bn euro of services to Japan, while imports of services from Japan amounted to 12.7 bn, meaning that the EU27 had a surplus of 3.8 bn in trade in services with Japan. This surplus was mainly due to financial services (+1.7 bn), travel (+1.0 bn) and computer & information services (+0.9 bn). Japan accounted for more than 3% of total extra-EU27 trade in services.

Foreign Direct Investment

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows between the EU27 and Japan show large variations, with EU27 investment in Japan of 5.9 bn in 2007, 2.6 bn in 2008 and 0.1 bn in 2009. On the other hand, Japan recorded investment of 18.5 bn in the EU27 in 2007 and 6.6 bn in 2008 and a disinvestment of 2.3 bn in 2009.