After having more than doubled in value between 2000 and 2008, EU27 trade in goods with India fell in 2009. EU27 exports decreased from 31.6 billion euro in 2008 to 27.6 bn in 2009 and imports from 29.5 bn to 25.3 bn. The EU27 surplus in trade with India increased from 0.8 bn in 2000 to 2.3 bn in 2009.

The first nine months of 2010 showed renewed growth in EU27 trade with India, with exports increasing from 19.7 bn in the first nine months of 2009 to 25.1 bn in the same period of 2010, and imports from 19.1 bn to 24.3 bn. The EU27 trade surplus with India remained nearly stable at 0.7 bn in the first nine months of 2010. In recent years, the share of India in EU27 trade has risen, reaching 2.6% of EU27 exports and 2.2% of EU27 imports in the first nine months of 2010. India is the EU27's 9th most important trading partner.

On the occasion of the 11th European Union - India summit, which will take place on 10 December in Brussels, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, issues data on trade and investments between India and the EU.

Largest surpluses in Germany and Belgium, highest deficits in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom

Among the EU27 Member States, Germany (6.6 bn euro or 26% of EU exports) was the largest exporter to India in the first nine months of 2010, followed by Belgium (5.1 bn or 20%), the United Kingdom (3.2 bn or 13%), Italy and France (both 2.3 bn or 9%). The United Kingdom (4.4 bn or 18% of EU imports) was the largest importer, followed by Germany (4.0 bn or 16%), Italy and the Netherlands (both 2.8 bn or 11%), Belgium and France (both 2.7 bn or 11%).

The largest surpluses in trade with India were observed in Germany (+2.6 bn), Belgium (+2.4 bn) and Sweden (+0.5 bn), and the highest deficits in the Netherlands (-1.5 bn), the United Kingdom (-1.2 bn) and Spain (-0.8 bn).

Machinery and vehicles and other manufactured goods represented almost 80% of EU27 exports to India in the first nine months of 2010, while other manufactured goods accounted for almost 50% of imports. At the detailed level, the main EU27 exports to India included unworked diamonds and aircraft, while the main imports included oil products and worked diamonds.

EU27 exports of services to India remained stable in 2009, while imports fell

In 2009, the EU27 exported 8.8 bn euro of services to India, while imports amounted to 7.4 bn, meaning that the EU27 had a surplus of 1.3 bn in trade in services with India, compared with a surplus of 1.5 bn in 2007 and 0.6 bn in 2008. The surplus in 2009 was mainly due to transportation (+0.8 bn) and computer & information services (+0.4 bn). The largest deficit was observed for travel (-0.6 bn). India accounted for nearly 2% of total extra-EU27 trade in services.

Decreasing FDI flows between EU and India

EU27 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India grew from 2.7 bn euro in 2006 to 4.2 bn in 2007, then fell to 3.2 bn in 2008 and 2.9 bn in 2009, while Indian direct investment into the EU27 increased from 0.5 bn in 2006 to a peak of 10.1 bn in 2007, then dropped to 2.5 bn in 2008 and to 0.9 bn in 2009.