By Bruno Venditti
The European Union (EU) exports over $6 trillion in products annually. The bloc boasts a diversified economy that encompasses fuel and mineral industries, cars, vaccines, and technology.
In this map, we display European Union countries’ top exports as of 2022. Data for the map was sourced from The Observatory of Economic Complexity.
Cars and Petroleum Dominate EU Exports
Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, Sweden, and the Netherlands have petroleum gas or refined petroleum as their top export product.
The Netherlands exported $68.1 billion worth of refined petroleum in 2022, ranking third among the largest exporters globally. The country is home to BP Rotterdam Refinery, the biggest oil refinery in Europe.
| Country | Top Export (2022) | Value (USD Billions) |
|---|---|---|
 Austria |
Cars | $7.7B |
 Belgium |
Petroleum Gas | $54.7B |
 Bulgaria |
Refined Petroleum | $3.5B |
 Croatia |
Refined Petroleum | $1.5B |
 Cyprus |
Passenger and Cargo Ships | $1.3B |
 Czech Republic |
Cars | $25.5B |
 Denmark |
Packaged Medicines | $15.9B |
 Estonia |
Electricity | $1.1B |
 Finland |
Refined Petroleum | $6.9B |
 France |
Planes, Helicopters, and/or Spacecraft | $26.6B |
 Germany |
Cars | $149.0B |
 Greece |
Refined Petroleum | $16.4B |
 Hungary |
Cars | $12.3B |
 Ireland |
Vaccines | $47.3B |
 Italy |
Packaged Medicines | $34.4B |
Besides petroleum, automobiles (and automobile parts) significantly contribute to the EU economy. Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain have automotive products as their top exports.
With well-known car brands such as Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Porsche, Germany alone generates around $150 billion per year from car exports.
Other products help diversify the EU economy. France’s top export is planes, helicopters, and/or spacecraft, while Italy and Denmark excel in the packaged medicines industry. Ireland has a significant pharmaceutical industry, hosting major companies such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Novartis.
Source: Visual Capitalist
