Euro dominates extra-EU trade in primary goods

Brussels – In 2025, the euro was the most widely used currency for extra-European imports of primary goods, excluding oil. According to Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical office, the figure stands at 47.4 per cent, compared with 45 per cent for the US dollar. This is followed by other EU currencies (1.7 per cent) and non-EU currencies (5.3 per cent).

The US dollar, on the other hand, dominates imports of petroleum products with a share of 86.7 per cent, with a share of 86.7 per cent, significantly higher than the euro (12.9 per cent), other EU-27 currencies (0.2 per cent), and those of countries outside the EU (0.1 per cent). The US dollar also dominates imports of manufactured goods (46.2 per cent), ahead of the euro (43.3 per cent), while other currencies account for less than 10 per cent. 

Regarding extra-EU exports of primary goods, the euro once again takes first place, accounting for 62.2 per cent, ahead of the US dollar (22.9 per cent), other EU currencies (2.5 per cent), and non-EU currencies (12.1 per cent). Conversely, the dollar dominates exports of oil and its derivatives (70.1 per cent), while the euro accounted for 27.5 per cent. As regards exports of manufactured goods, the euro again leads with 50.4 per cent, followed by the US dollar with almost 20 percentage points less (32.4 per cent). Conversely, for imports, EU currencies (1.8 per cent) and non-EU currencies (15.2 per cent) account for higher shares.