In a previous article, I looked print imports and exports in Europe, focusing on the specific types of products being traded. In this article, I’ll focus on the overall value of print products being traded among the European countries.

Like practically any good, print is traded across borders. While the majority of print is produced and consumed nationally, a substantial portion is exported or imported. Lowering trade barriers helped in the past and free trade within the European Union has especially made cross-border trade easy. Yet print volumes traded across borders declined in recent years.

The chart below illustrates the exports of printed matter from 2010 to 2020. Germany generated the largest exports with $4.2 billion in value in 2020. The United Kingdom follows with $3.1 billion. Other countries’ export was noticeably less, with France reaching $1.3 billion, Italy $1 billion, and Spain $661 million in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic had some noticeable impact, with an average drop of 12% in revenues in 2020 vs. 2019. The most affected country was Spain with a 20% drop.