Brussels, 05/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - With the EU-Ukraine summit taking place in Evian on 9 September, Eurostat has announced in a press release that, between 2000 and 2007, EU27 trade in goods with Ukraine more than tripled in value. Exports rose from €5.5 billion to €22.4 billion, while imports increased from €4.8 billion to €12.4 billion. The EU statistical office notes that the EU27 trade surplus with Ukraine increased from €0.6 billion in 2000 to €10.0 billion in 2007. Between 2000 and 2007, Ukraine more than doubled its share of total EU external trade in goods. In 2007, Ukraine accounted for 2% of EU27 exports and 1% of EU27 imports.
Nearly half of EU27 exports to Ukraine in 2007 were machinery and vehicles, and a further quarter were other manufactured goods. Other manufactured articles accounted for two fifths of imports and raw materials a further fifth. The main EU27 exports to Ukraine were medicine, motor vehicles and mobile phones, while the main imports were iron and steel products, sunflower seed oil, ferro-nickel, iron ores and oil. Among the EU27 member states, Germany, with €5.9 billion, 26% of EU exports, was the largest exporter to Ukraine in 2007, followed by Poland (€4.1 billion or 18%). Italy (€2.4 billion or 19%) was the largest importer, followed by Bulgaria (€1.6 billion or 13%) and Germany (€1.3 billion or 11%). The largest trade surpluses with Ukraine in 2007 were recorded in Germany (€4.6 billion) and Poland (€2.8 billion), and the highest deficit in Bulgaria (-€1.4 billion). (O.L./transl.rt)