In the third quarter of 2025 The European Union recorded a goods trade surplus with the United States. It amounted to EUR 40.8 billion – reports the European Statistical Office on Tuesday. This means that the EU countries sent much more goods to the USA than they imported from there.
However, there has been a significant change. The surplus shrank by 13.3%. compared to a surplus of €47.1 billion recorded in the second quarter of this year. What's more, compared to the first quarter of this year, the decline is almost 50%. At that time, the trade surplus exceeded EUR 81 billion.
“The first quarter was notable for a sharp increase in exports to the United States in light of potential tariffs from that country,” Eurostat notes in a statement.
Trade balance between the EU and the USA
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Eurostat
EU-US trade. What products?
In the third quarter of 2025 The EU recorded a trade surplus in chemicals and related products, machinery and vehicles, other industrial products and food and drink. The trade surplus in chemicals and related products narrowed in the second and third quarters (by €24.7 billion and €23 billion respectively) after peaking in the first quarter (a €54.1 billion surplus) due to potential tariffs from the United States.
Whereas deficit occurred in trade in energy, raw materials and other goods.
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How is trade between the EU and the US changing?
“From the first quarter of 2021 until the second quarter of 2022, EU imports from the United States were similar to EU imports from the rest of the world. However, following the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the EU increased imports of energy products from the United States. As a result, imports from the United States increased more than from the rest of the world and remained at a relatively high level,” Eurostat diagnoses the development of the situation over the years.
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A goods trade surplus with the US means that the EU sells more products to the US than it buys from it, and at first glance this may seem beneficial. This means greater demand for European goods, which supports the production, employment and exports of European companies. It may also strengthen the European currency, because American companies need the euro to pay for goods from the EU.
On the other hand, a surplus is not always clearly good because it can lead to trade tensions if the US believes that the relationship is unfavorable for it. And that's what we're dealing with.
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In the long term, the most important thing is that trade is stable and balanced and that European products are competitive in quality, not just quantity. If the surplus results from strong technologies, high quality and good governance, then it actually supports the development of the economy. However, if it is the result of temporary advantages, it can easily reverse when market conditions change.
