EU–United States › Optical, medical & precision instruments
EU–United States trade in optical, medical & precision instruments
In May 2026, the EU exported €2.8B of optical, medical & precision instruments to the United States and imported €2.3B — a €515M surplus in this category.
The EU's optical, medical & precision instruments surplus with the United States has narrowed by about 19% over the past year, from €634M to €515M.
The United States supplied about 31% of the EU's extra-EU imports of optical, medical & precision instruments in May 2026 — its single largest source.
Updated monthly · latest data May 2026
— EU exports— EU imports137 months · latest 2026-05
EU exports
€2.8B
EU imports
€2.3B
Balance
€515M
Top sub-categories traded with United States
EU exports →
- 9018Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, incl. scintigraphic apparatus, other electro-medical apparatus and sight-testing instruments, n.e.s.€1.0B
- 9021Orthopaedic appliances, incl. crutches, surgical belts and trusses; splints and other fracture appliances; artificial parts of the body; hearing aids and other appliances which are worn or carried, or implanted in the body, to compensate for a defect or disability€510M
- 9022Apparatus based on the use of X-rays or of alpha, beta or gamma radiations, whether or not for medical, surgical, dental or veterinary uses, incl. radiography or radiotherapy apparatus, X-ray tubes and other X-ray generators, high tension generators, control panels and desks, screens, examination or treatment tables, chairs and the like€199M
- 9031Measuring or checking instruments, appliances and machines not elsewhere specified in chapter 90; profile projectors€193M
- 9027Instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis, e.g. polarimeters, refractometers, spectrometers, gas or smoke analysis apparatus; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking viscosity, porosity, expansion, surface tension or the like; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking quantities of heat, sound or light, incl. exposure meters; microtomes€174M
← EU imports
- 9018Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, incl. scintigraphic apparatus, other electro-medical apparatus and sight-testing instruments, n.e.s.€833M
- 9021Orthopaedic appliances, incl. crutches, surgical belts and trusses; splints and other fracture appliances; artificial parts of the body; hearing aids and other appliances which are worn or carried, or implanted in the body, to compensate for a defect or disability€383M
- 9027Instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis, e.g. polarimeters, refractometers, spectrometers, gas or smoke analysis apparatus; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking viscosity, porosity, expansion, surface tension or the like; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking quantities of heat, sound or light, incl. exposure meters; microtomes€215M
- 9022Apparatus based on the use of X-rays or of alpha, beta or gamma radiations, whether or not for medical, surgical, dental or veterinary uses, incl. radiography or radiotherapy apparatus, X-ray tubes and other X-ray generators, high tension generators, control panels and desks, screens, examination or treatment tables, chairs and the like€159M
- 9031Measuring or checking instruments, appliances and machines not elsewhere specified in chapter 90; profile projectors€120M
Monthly figures
| Month | EU exports | EU imports | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | €2.8B | €2.3B | €515M |
| April 2026 | €3.0B | €2.3B | €655M |
| March 2026 | €3.0B | €2.4B | €636M |
| February 2026 | €2.5B | €2.1B | €413M |
| January 2026 | €2.4B | €2.0B | €456M |
| December 2025 | €2.9B | €2.2B | €673M |
| November 2025 | €2.6B | €2.3B | €313M |
| October 2025 | €3.0B | €2.4B | €518M |
| September 2025 | €2.7B | €2.3B | €377M |
| August 2025 | €2.3B | €2.1B | €121M |
| July 2025 | €3.1B | €2.3B | €787M |
| June 2025 | €3.1B | €2.5B | €622M |
| May 2025 | €2.9B | €2.3B | €634M |
| April 2025 | €3.0B | €2.4B | €645M |
| March 2025 | €3.5B | €2.7B | €830M |
| February 2025 | €3.1B | €2.3B | €798M |
| January 2025 | €3.0B | €2.2B | €818M |
| December 2024 | €3.0B | €2.3B | €745M |
| November 2024 | €3.2B | €2.4B | €845M |
| October 2024 | €3.3B | €2.5B | €770M |
| September 2024 | €3.0B | €2.3B | €704M |
| August 2024 | €2.8B | €2.2B | €609M |
| July 2024 | €3.3B | €2.3B | €954M |
| June 2024 | €2.9B | €2.2B | €758M |
EU exports, imports and balance by month — extra-EU, EU27 reporter, latest 24 months.
Related trade lanes
EU–China · Optical, medical & precision instruments →EU–United Kingdom · Optical, medical & precision instruments →EU–Japan · Optical, medical & precision instruments →EU–India · Optical, medical & precision instruments →EU–United States · all goods →EU–United States · Machinery & mechanical appliances →
Source: Eurostat — Comext DS-059341 · EU27 reporter · extra-EU trade · value in EUR. Figures are indicative and may be revised; verify against Eurostat before relying on them.