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Eurostat reported that both imports and exports of chemicals and related products increased by 7.4 percent in 2025 compared with 2024. The parallel expansion lifted the trade surplus by the same margin, adding €18 billion for the year. The United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and China stood as the four largest trading partners for the EU in this category.
Over the decade from 2015 to 2025 the EU chemicals trade surplus grew steadily from €129 billion to €257 billion, according to Eurostat figures. Imports advanced at an average annual rate of 5.5 percent during that period, climbing from €203 billion to €348 billion. Exports expanded at a faster average annual pace of 6.2 percent, rising from €323 billion to €605 billion, while the sector’s share of total extra-EU trade increased to 18.4 percent from 15.2 percent.
Sold production of chemicals and related products within the EU reached €836 billion in 2025, Eurostat data shows, up from €680 billion in 2015 at an average annual growth rate of 2 percent. Medicinal and pharmaceutical products accounted for 43 percent of exports. Organic chemicals represented 47.5 percent of imports, ahead of medicinal and pharmaceutical products at 23.6 percent.
Eurostat assessment found the EU led international trade in chemicals and related products in 2025 with total flows of €953 billion and the largest surplus among major economies. The United States ranked second in exports at €278 billion but recorded a deficit of €109 billion as the largest importer. China placed third in both exports at €211 billion and imports at €272 billion.
Germany led EU member states in extra-EU exports of chemicals and related products with €130 billion in 2025, Eurostat reported, followed by Ireland at €115 billion, Belgium at €60 billion, Italy at €56 billion and France at €54 billion. The main destinations outside the bloc were the United States with €206 billion, Switzerland with €76 billion, the United Kingdom with €48 billion, China with €32 billion and Türkiye with €17 billion. On the import side Germany topped the list with €58 billion from non-EU countries, followed by Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Slovenia.
Chemicals and related products generated a surplus of €49.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, contributing substantially to the EU’s overall goods trade surplus of €28.4 billion for that period, according to Eurostat. The sector has remained a consistent surplus driver across recent quarters even as energy trade stayed in deficit. EU chemicals trade surplus at €257 billion in 2025: Eurostat.
