Watch the video - EU high-tech exports recover: Here are the biggest trading partners

The European Union's high-tech waste and acquisition balance is backmost successful nan black. These see technologies ranging from semiconductors and AI-powered machinery to renewable power technologies and aesculapian equipment.

In 2024, its world marketplace exports reached much than €501 billion, marking an 8% summation from 2023, Eurostat figures showed.

By comparison, nan United States exported €447 cardinal worth of high-tech equipment successful 2024.

Meanwhile, EU imports remained unchangeable astatine €478 cardinal pursuing a marginal 0.2% drop.

This intends that aft 4 consecutive years of deficit, EU high-tech businesses tin yet station a surplus, totalling €23 billion.

The US was nan bloc's largest export partner by a wide margin.

Washington pumped astir €156 cardinal into nan EU high-tech economy, followed by Beijing (€49 billion) and London (€48 billion).

Pharma rises to top, but tin it past US tariffs?

The pharmaceutical assemblage gets astir of nan in installments for nan waste and acquisition surplus.

In 2024, it became nan astir valuable high-tech merchandise exported by nan EU, grossing astir one-third of each EU-exported products successful this class (€166 billion).

The US was nan main purchaser of EU pharmaceuticals, importing products worthy €84 billion, followed by Switzerland (€15 billion) and Japan (€5 billion).

However, US imports of EU pharma products did driblet by 30% successful 2024.

Exports mightiness autumn further successful 2025 and 2026 pursuing nan implementation of 15% tariffs connected EU products by nan US.

Experts reason that EU pharma companies whitethorn effort to offset nan effect by raising prices successful Europe.

"Some companies person begun to respond to US demands to set prices," says the Atlantic Council. "Eli Lilly, which produces a starring glucosuria medication, has said it will raise prices successful Europe, presumably pinch nan extremity end of lowering them successful nan US."

"Europe’s regulators will person to face these and akin practices successful nan European market."

Which different tech sectors are driving nan EU surplus?

The 2nd astir profitable assemblage for EU high-tech exports wide was electronics and telecommunications, grossing €94 billion. However, this is half nan fig recorded successful 2023 erstwhile exports reached a worth of €187 billion.

The class electronics and telecommunications was nan best-selling successful China, representing 32% of its high-tech purchases from nan EU.

Aerospace was nan third-highest grossing niche pinch €88 billion, acknowledgment to a singular 57% jump successful marketplace value, and nan best-selling class successful Turkey (37%) and nan United Kingdom (22%).

Scientific instruments classed 4th (€77 billion), pinch astir products (14%) being exported to nan US.

Imports: China still leads acknowledgment to electronics & telecomms

In 2024, nan full worth of high-tech equipment bought by EU countries from China was €141 billion.

China frankincense confirmed itself arsenic nan bloc's largest high-tech seller pinch a 30% marketplace share, down 2% from 2023.

There was small alteration successful US imports too, pinch nan state retaining nan second-largest high-tech marketplace share, astatine €111 billion.

Switzerland (€31 billion), Taiwan (€26 billion), Vietnam (€24 billion) and nan UK (€21 billion) were different important import partners.

In position of marketplace sectors, electronics and telecommunications were nan largest stock of high-tech imports successful nan EU (36%), pinch China being nan largest provider.

Computers and agency machines covered 18% of imports from non-EU countries, while drugstore products accounted for 15%, mostly provided by nan US (€34 billion) and Switzerland (€22 billion).