(11 June 2015) – The international trade in services of the European Union has increased significantly over the last five years. EU exports of services to the rest of the world rose by 29% and imports by 27%.
Transport and travel were in 2014 the two main categories of services traded by the EU, accounting for a third (33%) of total extra-EU exports and 37% of imports.
The EU surplus in 2014 was mainly due to surpluses in financial services (+€41.7 bn) as well as in telecommunications, computer and information services (+€41.0 bn), while a significant deficit was recorded for charges for the use of intellectual property (-€31.8 bn).
In 2014, the EU recorded surpluses in trade in services with all its main partners, except Hong Kong (-€0.2 bn). The largest surplus was observed by far with Switzerland (€37.8 billion), followed by Russia (€16.4 bn), the United States (€11.6 bn), Japan (€10.3 bn) and China (€9.2 bn).