BRUSSELS, 25th September, 2026 (WAM) -- In 2025, the EU imported 1.1 billion tonnes of goods from non-EU countries by sea, valued at €1 270 billion. Exports transported by sea totalled 0.5 billion tonnes, worth €1 069 billion, according to figures released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Maritime transport was the main mode of transport for the EU international trade in goods in 2025. It dominated the physical volume of trade, accounting for 73.3% of all imports and 72.6% of all exports by weight. When it comes to value, it represented a smaller share, with 50.2% of import value and 40.4% of export value.
By contrast, air transport played a minor role in terms of volume but a more prominent role in terms of value. Just 0.3% of imports and 2.9% of exports were moved by air, yet these shipments made up 20.7% of the total import value and 29.1% of the total export value.
Road transport also registered a higher share in value (19.5% imports and 24.9% exports) than in volume (6.0% imports and 17.4% exports).
For rail transport, the volume (2.6% imports and 2.9% exports) exceeded the value (1.2% imports and 1.3% exports).