Space under control: EU space exports up, but market still centred in the US

Ahead of International Human Space Flight Day on 12 April, Eurostat has published data showing the European Union's export and import flows in the category "space products" (comprising satellites, suborbital and space launch vehicles, Combined Nomenclature code 880260). The results for 2024 demonstrate that Europe continues to participate actively in the global space economy - but mainly by supplying rather than receiving.

The total export volume of such goods totalled €1.217bn - a small but stable increase compared to 2019 (€1.20bn). The United States remains the main export destination, accounting for 77.3 per cent of the total. Indonesia (9.7 per cent) and South Korea (8.6 per cent) come in second and third place. This emphasises the concentration of foreign economic relations in the high-tech sector and, possibly, the dependence on certain countries as buyers of advanced European space solutions.

Imports of space products are also showing growth, from €117 million in 2019 to €166 million in 2024. Although the absolute values here are small, the increase of almost 42% over five years speaks to Europe's growing need for components or technologies produced outside the EU - especially given the concentration of development and launch capacity in the US and China.

These data are published against the backdrop of growing discussions about the EU's "strategic autonomy" in the space sector. Although the EU is developing its own flagship projects such as Galileo (satellite navigation) and Copernicus (Earth remote sensing), the market remains largely dependent on external actors.

In addition, the high share of exports to the US may indicate that Europe is actively producing components but does not always close the full technological cycle at home.

The current trade structure emphasises both the EU's high-tech achievements and challenges: dependence on a narrow range of trading partners and the need to increase domestic production capacity. Space remains not only an arena for international co-operation, but also a strategic area requiring long-term investment and political will.