Maritime transport dominates EU's international trade
Sep 26, 2025
Brussels [Belgium], September 26: The EU imported 1.1 billion tonnes of goods in 2024 from non-EU countries by sea, valued at €1 251 billion. Exports transported by sea totalled 0.5 billion tonnes, worth €1 126 billion, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Maritime transport was the main mode of transport for the EU international trade in goods in 2024. It dominated the physical volume of trade, accounting for 75.6% of all imports and 73.7% of all exports by weight. When it comes to value, it represented a smaller share, with 51.3% of import value and 43.6% of export value.
In rail transport the volume (3.1% imports and 2.9% exports) also exceeded the value (1.5% imports and 1.3% exports).
In contrast, air transport played a minor role in terms of volume but a more prominent role in terms of value. Just 0.2% of imports and 2.8% of exports were moved by air, yet these shipments made up 18.3% of the total import value and 27.1% of the total export value.
Road transport also registered a higher share in value (20.4% imports and 24.0% exports) than in volume (5.8% imports and 16.5% exports).
Source: Emirates News Agency
