LUXEMBOURG / EuroWire / — The euro was the most used currency for the European Union’s imports of primary goods from countries outside the bloc in 2025, excluding petroleum, with a 47.4% share, according to data released by Eurostat on Monday. The U.S. dollar followed closely at 45.0%, while currencies of EU countries outside the euro area accounted for 1.7% and other non-EU currencies made up 5.3%, giving the single currency a narrow but clear lead in that trade segment.
The same pattern was more pronounced on the export side. In extra-EU exports of primary goods, the euro accounted for 62.2% of invoicing in 2025, ahead of the U.S. dollar at 22.9%, with other EU currencies at 2.5% and other non-EU currencies at 12.1%. The figures show that the euro held a much stronger position in sales of primary goods to markets outside the bloc than it did in comparable import transactions during the year.
The breakdown by product group showed that currency use varied sharply across trade flows. In petroleum products, the U.S. dollar remained dominant, accounting for 86.7% of extra-EU imports and 70.1% of exports in 2025, while the euro held shares of 12.9% and 27.5%, respectively. In manufactured goods, the dollar led imports with 46.2% against 43.3% for the euro, but the euro led exports with 50.4% compared with 32.4% for the dollar.
Euro leads primary goods trade
Across all extra-EU goods imports, the broader picture still favored the U.S. currency. The dollar accounted for 51% of total import invoicing in 2025, compared with 40% for the euro. On the export side, that relationship reversed, with the euro used in 51% of extra-EU goods exports and the dollar in 33%. For the European Union, the latest figures show the euro leading in several export categories while the dollar retained a larger role in import settlement overall.
At national level, the euro was the top invoicing currency for extra-EU exports in 22 of the EU’s 27 countries in 2025, while the U.S. dollar was the leading currency for imports in 18 member states. Eurostat said the trade-by-currency figures are compiled mainly from customs declarations. Because detailed reporting is mandatory only in even reference years, the 2025 EU aggregate was estimated using 2025 national data where available and 2024 data for the remaining gaps.
Imports and exports diverge
The 2025 data point to a consistent split between commodity groups rather than a single pattern across external trade. Petroleum remained overwhelmingly dollar-denominated, while primary goods outside petroleum leaned more heavily toward the euro, especially on exports. Manufactured goods showed a more balanced picture, with the dollar slightly ahead on imports and the euro ahead on exports. That distribution helps explain why the euro led in selected categories even as the dollar remained the main invoicing currency for the bloc’s total imports.
The release adds to the European Union’s latest trade snapshot by showing where the common currency had the strongest foothold in transactions with partners outside the bloc. For 2025, that strength was most visible in primary goods, where the euro led on both imports excluding petroleum and on exports, while the dollar stayed firmly dominant in petroleum and held the overall lead in import invoicing across all goods.