The European Union recorded a high-tech trade surplus of €32.4 billion in 2025, driven by strong export growth in pharmaceuticals and aerospace products, according to figures published by Eurostat.
The statistical agency reported that the bloc imported €534.1 billion worth of high-tech goods during the year while exporting €566.5 billion worth of products to non-EU markets.
The result marked the second consecutive year of trade surpluses for the EU in high-tech products, following four straight years of trade deficits recorded between 2020 and 2023.
Over the decade since 2015, EU imports of high-tech items increased by an average of 6 per cent year on year, expanding by a total of €239.9 billion.
During the same ten-year period, EU high-tech exports grew by an average of 7 per cent annually, representing an increase of €265.4 billion.
In terms of manufacturing, the EU produced €532 billion worth of high-tech products for sale in 2025.
Local high-tech production has grown by an average of 6 per cent per year since 2015, when total output stood at €287 billion.
China and the United States remained the dominant sources of EU high-tech imports in 2025, jointly accounting for more than half of all incoming shipments.
Imports from China reached €150.4 billion to represent 28 per cent of total high-tech imports, while imports from the United States totaled €131.4 billion, or 25 per cent.
Switzerland stood as the third largest supplier of high-tech goods to the EU, delivering €32.6 billion worth of products to account for 6 per cent of the total.
The majority of imports from China were concentrated in electronics and telecommunications, which represented 48 per cent of Chinese high-tech deliveries, followed by computers and office machines at 31 per cent.
Supplies from the United States consisted mainly of aerospace products at 36 per cent and pharmaceutical products at 33 per cent.
In the case of Switzerland, pharmaceuticals made up 71 per cent of all high-tech goods sent to the EU market.
The United States served as the primary destination for EU high-tech exports in 2025, purchasing €195.1 billion worth of goods, or 34 per cent of the total.
The United Kingdom ranked as the second largest export market at €52.5 billion, taking 9 per cent of total exports, slightly ahead of China at €48.1 billion, or 8 per cent.
Pharmaceuticals dominated EU sales to the United States, accounting for 62 per cent of all high-tech exports to the country, while aerospace products made up 12 per cent.
Exports to the United Kingdom were substantially more diversified, with pharmaceuticals representing 23 per cent, followed by aerospace products and electronics-telecommunications at 19 per cent each, and scientific instruments at 13 per cent.
High-tech deliveries to China exhibited a similar variety, led by electronics and telecommunications at 30 per cent, aerospace products at 27 per cent, scientific instruments at 20 per cent and pharmaceuticals at 13 per cent.