Exports outside the EU surge, with Switzerland, China and the US leading the way

In August, there were few geographical areas bucking the trend (the Middle East, Russia and Central and South America), against a generally positive backdrop almost everywhere.

On the purchasing side, the increase is similar, with a rise of 17.2 per cent, notably driven by a more than doubling of imports from India.

In detail

In August 2026, trade with countries outside the EU-27 is estimated to show a cyclical decline in exports (-2.1 per cent), whilst imports are expected to remain virtually unchanged (-0.1 per cent).

 The month-on-month fall in exports is due to lower sales of capital goods (-7.0 per cent), durable consumer goods (-8.6 per cent) and non-durable consumer goods (-6.2 per cent); exports of energy (+37.5 per cent) and intermediate goods (+4.8 per cent) increased. On the import side, the economic trend reflects a sharp contraction in purchases of non-durable consumer goods (-20.8%) and increases of varying magnitude across all other categories.

 In the June–August 2026 quarter, exports fell by 0.2 per cent compared with the previous quarter; this was driven by lower sales of non-durable consumer goods (-2.1 per cent), capital goods (-1.0 per cent) and intermediate goods (-0.4 per cent), whilst exports of energy (+17.8 per cent) and durable consumer goods (+4.6 per cent) increased. Over the same period, imports rose by 1.5 per cent, driven by higher purchases of capital goods, intermediate goods (both up 4.0 per cent) and energy (up 1.1 per cent).

 In August 2026, exports grew by 16.1 per cent year-on-year (compared with +6.6 per cent in July 2026). The year-on-year growth in exports to markets outside the EU27 is due to higher sales of energy (+70.4 per cent), intermediate goods (+22.1 per cent), capital goods (+12.4 per cent) and non-durable consumer goods (+10.3 per cent); only exports of durable consumer goods fell year-on-year (-2.6%). Imports recorded a year-on-year increase of 17.2 per cent, affecting all categories except non-durable consumer goods (-24.6 per cent), and was most pronounced for energy (+41.4 per cent).

 In August 2026, the trade surplus with non-EU27 countries stood at +2,000 million euros (+1,878 million in the same month of 2025). The energy deficit (-4,808 million) is higher than a year earlier (-3,571 million). The surplus in trade in non-energy products rose from +5,449 million in August 2025 to +6,809 million in August 2026.

 With the exception of the United Kingdom (-2.1 per cent), exports to all the main non-EU27 trading partners rose year-on-year; exports to Switzerland (+57.0%), China (+32.3%) and the United States (+31.1%) recorded the largest increases.

 Imports from India (+116.5 per cent) have shown strong year-on-year growth; significant year-on-year increases were also recorded for imports from OPEC countries (+54.6%), MERCOSUR countries (+39.2%) and China (+16.0%). Imports from the United Kingdom (-13.1 per cent), the United States (-11.1 per cent), Turkey (-9.0 per cent) and ASEAN countries (-5.7 per cent) have fallen.