Brussels, 31/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - Although they now account for 30% of EU exports, ASEM countries also account for 44% of imported goods in Europe.
The most recent Eurostat figures on trade between Europe and Asia published on the eve of the ninth ASEM forum on 5-6 November in Vientiane (Laos), confirmed the growing interdependence between the two regions. From 2000 to 2011, the share of 16 Asian countries (Burma/Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, China, South Korea, Indonesia, India, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), in addition to Russia, Australia and New Zealand, in the EU's international export trade continued to increase. Although the share of the ASEM partners in EU27 exports rose from 22% to 30%, imports grew from 36% to 44%. The EU27 therefore registered a trade deficit with the ASEM partners during the whole period, growing from €174 billion in 2000 to €300 billion in 2008, before falling to €280 billion in 2011. There was continued growth in international trade in goods between the EU27 and the ASEM partners in the first half of 2012, with exports rising from €226 billion euro in the first half of 2011 to €255 billion in the first half of 2012, and imports up from €373 billion to €379 billion. Between 2000 and 2011, among the largest ASEM trading partners, highest growth was registered with China, Russia and India and the largest decrease with Japan. Germany accounted for more than one third of exports to ASEM partners and 20% of imports from this Asian region into the EU. (EH/transl.fl)