Maritime industry in the European Union (EU) - statistics & facts
Maritime shipping has been a vital mode of transportation for European countries for centuries. This fact has not changed with the establishment of the European Union (EU) and its subsequent enlargements. On the contrary, shipping remains one of the most important means of trade for the Member States of the EU. Nowadays, ships carry more than half the value of goods imports to the EU and over 40 percent of goods exports from the EU. In 2021, about 1.1 trillion euros worth of goods were imported to the EU, and about 956 billion euros worth of cargo exported from the EU by sea.
