The euro currency accounted for close to half (47.4%) of extra-EU imports of primary goods, excluding petroleum products, last year, according to new data from Eurostat.
This was closely followed by the US dollar, which accounted for a 45% share, while currencies from non-euro EU countries represented 1.7% of transactions and other currencies accounted for 5.3%.
When it comes to petroleum products, meanwhile, the US dollar remained the dominant invoicing currency by a large margin, the data showed, accounting for 86.7%.
This was far ahead of the euro (12.9%), with other EU currencies (0.2%) and non-EU currencies (0.1%) representing only small shares of petroleum trade invoicing.
For manufactured goods imported into the EU, the US dollar accounted for 46.2% of invoicing, slightly ahead of the euro at 43.3%. Other EU currencies represented 1.7%, while non-EU currencies accounted for 8.5%.
Extra-EU exports
The euro maintained a stronger position in extra-EU exports. In trade involving primary goods excluding petroleum, the euro represented close to two thirds (62.2%) of export invoicing, compared with 22.9% for the US dollar. Other EU currencies accounted for 2.5% and non-EU currencies for 12.1%, according to Eurostat.
Petroleum exports from the EU were again dominated by the US dollar, which accounted for 70.1% of invoicing while the euro represented 27.5% of petroleum export transactions.
In manufactured goods exports, the euro held a majority share at 50.4%, while the US dollar represented 32.4%. Other EU currencies accounted for 1.8% and non-EU currencies for 15.2%, Eurostat noted. Read more here.
