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News from ECG
In 2025 a total of 4.9 million passenger cars were exported from the EU, while a total of 4.4 million cars were imported. This marks a trade surplus of 526,000 units, but a year-on-year decline of 41%. Meanwhile imports of passenger cars are rising at a rate of 11% per year, while exports increased by only 1.6% y/y in 2025. And the big difference is that exports from the EU now include volumes of used cars.
In 2013, for example, exports hit 7.16 million cars while imports were just 2.6 million. A trade surplus of 4.5 million cars. Today this trade surplus is shrinking, having dropped 41% y/y to 526,053 cars.
Top EU Export Destinations & Growth Regions
In 2025 the region that witnessed strongest demand for cars from the EU was Central & Southern America with exports up by 68% y/y. Africa followed with exports up 52% y/y. While, as expected, the North American region saw a 10% decline.
The top export destination was the UK. Remaining faithful cars made in the EU, the country received 1.3 million passenger cars from the EU, up 0.9% y/y as per data from Eurostat.
Türkiye is the second strongest market for EU cars with exports of 721,558 units in 2025, marking an increase of 20.2% y/y. In third place is the United States, with exports of 674,974 units, a decline of 13.2% y/y.
China, however, imported just 160,324 units from the EU, a decline of 43.1%, and is now only the seventh top destination for EU cars. But the market which has suddenly entered the top 10, coming in at number eight, is Cameroon.
This West African country has witnessed a 725.5% y/y jump in cars arriving from the EU. And it is the location of Cameroon which has attracted this volume growth. As a hub to re-distribute cars to its six neighbouring countries, plus its coastal location, mean that used cars exported from the EU jumped from 18,983 units in 2024 to 156,718 units in 2025!
Top Markets EU Imports from
China leads as the top country that the EU imports cars from, with a 30% y/y jump to over 1.1 million units in 2025. The UK is second, with imports to the EU of 807,696 units marking a 74% y/y increase.
EU Imports from China by Country
Overall imports of passenger cars from China have risen from just 202,000 units in 2020 to over 1.1 million units in 2025. The top EU country importing cars from China is still Belgium. As the main gateway to Europe, Belgium imported 286,024 units in 2025, a small 2.6% y/y increase. The second biggest importer was Spain with 190,492 units, up 41.2% y/y, while in third place was Italy with 159,480 units, an increase of 54.5% y/y.
ECG Members can read the full report here.