Trade, Investment, and Business

The European Union is the world’s biggest trader, accounting for 20 percent of global imports and exports. Free trade among its members was one of the founding principles of the EU, and it is committed to liberalizing world trade for the benefit of rich and poor countries alike.

Trade policy is the exclusive jurisdiction of the European Union, which represents the interests of all 27 EU Member States at bilateral and multilateral levels, including the World Trade Organization.

By creating new market opportunities for European exporters, workers and investors, the EU’s trade policy contributes to growth and jobs. Today, the EU seeks to resolve trade issues that go well beyond tariffs: for instance, protecting companies’ intellectual property rights and addressing counterfeiting and piracy of European goods; removing ‘behind the border’ barriers that discriminate against European companies or affect their ability to export goods, invest or deliver services; and international regulatory cooperation to support international convergence of rules and norms whenever possible.