In 2022, large companies in the European Union (EU) with 250 or more employees dominated the exports of services to countries outside the EU, representing 56% of the total. Small companies, with up to 49 employees, contributed 14%, surpassing medium-sized companies (between 50 and 249 employees) which had a 10% share. For 20% of the exports, the size of the exporting companies could not be determined.
These data come from the Statistics on Trade in Services by Enterprise Characteristics (STEC), published by Eurostat for the first time as official statistics. STEC provides information on the relationship between the volume of trade in services and the characteristics of the companies involved.
Companies whose main area of operation was transportation and information and communication activities each represented 20% of service exports, closely followed by manufacturing companies with 15%. Companies in professional, scientific, and technical activities accounted for 10%, while those in the financial sector contributed 8%.
Among small companies, the financial sector was the main contributor with a 28% share in exports, followed by transportation (19%), information and communication (14%), and professional, scientific, and technical activities (14%). Manufacturing had the smallest share in service exports from small companies at 3%.
For medium-sized companies, the majority of international trade in services came from the professional, scientific, and technical sector (24%), followed by information and communication, and transportation (each with 22%). Manufacturing and financial companies each represented 7% of service exports.
Large companies involved in service exports were predominantly active in the information and communication sector, with 28% of exports, followed by transportation and manufacturing (23% each). The professional, scientific, and technical sector accounted for 10% of exports, while the financial sector contributed 5%.
via: MiMub in Spanish