Brits are buying much less from the EU, says the EU

EU’s trade surplus with the UK plunges 25% - EU Commission trade report

Despite the drop, the UK was still the EU’s second-largest market for goods

Yesterday, almost unnoticed by the mainstream media because of the Coronavirus, the EU Commission published its latest international trade report for January 2020.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

EU27 goods exports, Jan 2020 compared to Jan 2019

EU goods exports to the UK plunged by almost 10% year-on-year, to €25 billion
The EU’s trade surplus with the UK in January fell by 25% year-on-year, to €8.7 billion

The United Kingdom was the EU’s second-largest market in January

Despite the falls, the UK was still the EU’s second-largest market, after the USA
Sales to the UK were 67% higher than sales to the third place country, China
30% of the EU’s global exports were to four countries: USA, UK, China, and Russia

And how did the EU do generally?

Intra-euro area trade fell to €164.2 bn in January 2020, down by 1.6% compared with January 2019
The EU27 recorded a -€2.6 bn deficit in trade in goods with the rest of the world in January 2020
Intra-EU27 trade fell to €255.3 bn in January 2020, down by -0.9% compared with January 2019

Please note: Despite the fact that the United Kingdom was still a full member of the European Union in January, the EU’s statistics agency has reported its international trade figures as if the UK had already left.

Observations

It is perhaps easy to forget that just two months ago the world was trading normally. In January 2020 the effects of the Coronavirus had not yet been felt.

It is therefore important to record that the EU was already struggling in many ways, before any effects of the Coronavirus. The charts above refer to the latest month about which the EU Commission was reporting: January 2020. The trends, however, had set in long before.

No excuses, no delay

Every day now we are reading more and more stories about a delay to Brexit being inevitable. We strongly believe that the sooner the UK extricates itself from the EU completely – including from the European Investment Bank – the better.

The Eurozone is heading for disaster. The last thing the UK needs is to have any association with it. The Prime Minister should immediately and categorically rule out any notion that Brexit will be delayed.

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[ Sources: EU Commission - Eurostat report for Jan 2020 ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Thur 19 Mar 2020

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Reader Comments 12

1. Anthony, Exeter , Thursday, March 19, 2020, 07:48:

You are an oasis of fact and reason in a crazy world.

2. Douglas V , Thursday, March 19, 2020, 07:52:

I see my embargo on French wine and cheese is working !

3. Andy , Thursday, March 19, 2020, 09:16:

@ Douglas V. Mine too ! Only thing I consciously buy from the EU is Greek yogurt and olive oil, and I do that because of how the EU have treated Greece.

4. Ashley Great Britain , Thursday, March 19, 2020, 10:50:

I actively avoid any produce from the EU.
Cornish Bree, English wine going down nicely.
I look forward to many years of the EU being on the receiving end of the bad end of the stick.
Can't wait to see the UK finally looking after itself.

5. L Jones , Thursday, March 19, 2020, 13:57:

''The Prime Minister should immediately and categorically rule out any notion that Brexit will be delayed.'' Yes, indeed he should. But will he? Or is he still too conscious of offending his ''EU friends'' to be frank with them. I fear he is.

6. Concerned , Thursday, March 19, 2020, 16:15:

Agreed, I also avoid all EU products as much as I can. Greek things I buy because the Greeks are deserving of everyone buying their stuff.

7. Adam Hiley , Thursday, March 19, 2020, 21:26:

the Europeans are not Our enemy the Enemies are the EU corporatist Bureaucracy and Our own Remainers

8. Concerned , Friday, March 20, 2020, 06:09:

I agree 7. Adam, we and the Europeans should be in solidarity against the EU corporatist Bureaucracy and Our own Remainers who have been working together in lockstep ever since 2016 and that absolutely fabulous referendum which they hate so much.

9. Jon, Wales , Friday, March 20, 2020, 12:18:

As an aside, probably the most disturbing thing I've witnessed is the arrogance of German EU commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. Every time she opens her mouth, she spouts the same old garbage that the 'single market' must be protected.
She doesn't care there is a global pandemic so long as her 'single market' is saved.
Many leaders of EU member countries are now [rightly] acting in their own national interests, but ALL leaders should quit political posturing during these pandemic times because ordinary people can see straight through them.
The health emergency in Italy has been marked with a short but excellent Sky News report this morning [credit where credit is due], which Italy wanted the world to see, because they suggest the same is on its way to the UK. They suggest we need to get ready for the inevitable?
Former German defence minister, Ms von der Leyen and her 'single market' ideology is found in a previous Facts4EU.org article, here: https://facts4eu.org/news/2...
Everyone across the continent should ask themselves, what is the point of the expensive, unaccountable EU and its diktats?
Answer = NOTHING?

10. Concerned , Friday, March 20, 2020, 18:05:

I can think of no benefit brought by the EU to anything. The only possible benefit is to employ thousands of bureaucrats who are possibly unemployable in the private sector or who are diehard commies (inall its forms greens, liberals, socialist etc).

12 comments, page 1 of 2

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