SMEs weight in EU’s international trade in goods

In 2019, 99% of importing enterprises in total trade (intra-EU and extra-EU) were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while this share was only slightly lower for exporting enterprises (98%). For both importing and exporting enterprises, this value remained almost unchanged between 2015 and 2019.

Although large importers and exporters (enterprises with more than 250 employees) represented a smaller share of the total number of enterprises in both intra- (1% and 2%) and extra-EU trade (3% and 4%), their weight in terms of value was undisputable.

Key facts:

• SMEs had a share of 46% in EU imports of goods and a share of 37% in exports of goods.
• Medium (50-249 persons employed) enterprises had shares in imports of 21% and in exports of 20%
• Micro (0-9 persons employed) enterprises had a slightly higher share in imports than in exports,
• while the reverse was true for small (10-49 persons employed) enterprises.
• Large importers and exporters accounted for 51% of the value of imports and 58% of the value of exports in intra-EU trade
• In extra-EU trade, they accounted for 58% of the value of imports and 68% of the value of exports

Source: Eurostat