Trading Partner Portal: European Union

Key Country Contacts

Source: US Department of Commerce

Trade Overview

The European Union (EU), made up of 27 countries and roughly 502.5 million people, presents enormous commercial opportunity to California. In combination, the countries of the EU form California’s largest export market.  Exports to the EU have continued to rise and in 2011 were at $25.9 billion.  US Department of Commerce

The European Union receives roughly 17 percent of all California exports. Chief among the exports are computers and electronic products; which have remained California’s largest export to the EU for over ten years—by a multi-billion dollar margin.  At $7.5 billion in 2011, they made up 29 percent of total EU importation from California.
US Department of Commerce

In the last four years, exporting of chemical manufactures (California’s second largest export to the EU) has begun to increase.  Chemical manufactures exportation has seen increases in the range of $500 million each consecutive year since 2005, a 68 percent increase over 3 years.  However, in 2011 chemical manufactures saw a slight increase in exports to $3.8 million.
US Department of Commerce

In addition, transportation equipment, California’s third largest export to the EU, saw enormous increase from 2007 to 2008 (nearly $1 billion).  This expansion represents a growth of 40 percent over 1 year. Other strong areas include miscellaneous manufactures, machinery manufactures, and crop production.
US Department of Commerce

United States and European Union Agree to Historic New Partnership on Organic Trade -  Feb 2012

A Transatlantic Zero Agreement Estimating the Gains from Transatlantic Free Trade in Goods
2010 study by the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE) demonstrating the significant economic and trade benefits of eliminating tariffs on transatlantic trade. The report was prepared by ECIPE Director Fredrik Erixon and his team, with a grant from the U.S. Chamber and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, using widely respected economic models and techniques to project the GDP, national income, and trade effects from eliminating U.S. and EU tariffs on goods imported from the other party. Although both the U.S. and the EU have generally low tariffs, the huge volume of trade between the world’s two largest economies means that cost reductions and productivity gains from removing tariffs are significant.

Foreign Direct Investment

In 2009, EU foreign direct investment in the United States was approximately $1.5 billion. Bureau of Economic Analysis

Tourism

EU countries sent roughly 2 million tourists to California in 2010, stimulating the Californian economy.  
Of all 27 countries, the British, Germans, French, and Italians came in the largest quantities.
(California Tourism and Travel Commission)


October 2011, the European Commission published a policy on corporate social responsibility (CSR). By taking steps to better meet their social responsibility, enterprises can help themselves and help society as a whole.  The European Commission’s strategy on CSR aims to create conditions favorable to sustainable growth and employment generation in the medium and long term.

The California Chamber of Commerce has joined forces with the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union in Brussels to introduce many of their informative publications to our members.  The most recent publication, The EU Made Simple , is offered at a discount price to CalChamber members. 

The EU is one of the major players in international trade, regulatory standards, environmental policy and global security and defence.  Therefore understanding the EU institutions, their processes, the key players and how decisions are made is key to business success in Europe. AmCham EU has recently published the third edition of The EU Made Simple which includes all the structural and other changes to EU governance since the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty this year. The book is an ideal tool for those just beginning in EU Affairs, or for those more experienced practitioners by presenting all material in an easy to follow format. This publication is available to members of CalChamber at the AmCham EU member discounted rate of €15. You can visit www.amchameu.eu/publications to find out more about this publication and the others offered by AmCham EU.  Order directly from AmCham EU.

Trade Missions

Related articles:

       Trade Mission to UK - London Alert April 1987

         Trade Mission to Germany Alert Nov. 1989

       Trade Mission to Spain Alert Nov. 1989

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