MEMO/08/130
Brussels, 28 February 2008
EU-Africa trade in facts and figures The EU is the largest trading partner and largest export market for every almost every country in Africa. The European Union has an overall trade deficit with Africa. In 2006 the EU imported €126 billion in goods from Africa. It exported €93 billion worth of goods to Africa. The EU has a trade deficit with Africa in agricultural goods, textiles and energy products. It has a surplus in trade in machinery, chemicals and transport equipment.
Africa accounts for almost 9% of EU imports. Half of these imports are energy products. 23% are manufactured goods and 11% are food and agricultural products.
Africa absorbs 8.3% of EU exports. Machinery, chemicals and manufactured goods make up more than 78% of EU exports to Africa.
Europe's largest trading partner (imports+ exports) in Africa is South Africa. South Africa accounted for 14% (€18billion) of African exports to the EU in 2006. The EU and South Africa have a free trade agreement.
Algeria and Libya are the biggest African exporters to the EU. In 2006 they exported €24 billion and €26 billion worth of goods respectively, almost entirely energy products.
Through the Euromed process, which aims to create a free trade area of the Mediterranean by 2010, the EU has built close trading relationships with the countries of North Africa. EU-Morroco trade was worth €17.5 billion in 2006, based largely on Moroccan textiles and agricultural products and European Machinery and industrial products. EU-Egypt trade was worth €16.3 billion, based largely on Egyptian energy goods and textiles and European machinery and chemicals.
