Market evolution: Landing gear (CN 880720) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report analyzes the evolution of the European Union's trade in aircraft landing gear and parts (Customs code 880720) between 2015 and 2025. The sector is a critical component of the aerospace industry, characterized by high technological requirements and significant value. Our analysis focuses on trade flows, market structure, and strategic vulnerabilities, using available EU trade data to identify key trends and their potential implications for the European aerospace sector's competitiveness and resilience.

Steady Growth in Trade Volumes and Value Amidst a Persistent Surplus

The EU's trade in landing gear has demonstrated robust growth over the recent reporting period. Both export and import values have increased substantially, indicating a dynamic and expanding market for these high-value aerospace components.

Sustained Export Expansion Outpaces Import Growth

EU exports of landing gear have grown more rapidly in both value and quantity than imports, strengthening the bloc's net trading position. Between the first and last reported periods, EU export value increased by 38.8%, rising from approximately €1.89 billion to €2.62 billion. This growth was mirrored in exported quantities, which rose by 39.2% to 9,992 tonnes. A notable stability in export unit prices (a marginal -0.3% change) suggests the growth was primarily volume-driven.

Import Reliance Remains High but is Moderating

The EU remains a significant net importer of landing gear, though its relative reliance on foreign supply has decreased. Import values grew by 36.8% to approximately €2.19 billion. However, the quantity growth was more modest at 19.5%, accompanied by a 14.5% increase in import unit prices. This indicates potential cost pressures or a shift in the product mix towards higher-value imported components. The EU's net import reliance, measured as the trade balance relative to apparent consumption, has narrowed significantly, improving by 80.7% from -47.1% to -9.1%, signaling a strengthening of the EU's competitive position in this sector.

Key Partnerships with the US and UK Define Trade Flows

Trade is highly concentrated with a few key partners, reflecting the structure of the global aerospace industry. The United States is the EU's primary source of imports, accounting for over €1.07 billion in the latest period, a 58.6% increase. The United Kingdom is the second-largest import partner (€636 million) and the top export destination for EU producers (€711 million). Notably, exports to China have declined by 23.6%, while imports from China have grown by 75.1%, albeit from a lower base.

A Concentrated and Internally Specialized European Industry

The production of aircraft landing gear within the EU is characterized by a high degree of geographic specialization and is dominated by a small number of key member states, shaping the bloc's overall trade profile.

France Leads as the EU's Specialized Production Hub

Specialization data for 2025 reveals a stark divide among EU member states. France stands out as the bloc's primary specialist, with a Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) of 0.78 and a production share of 63% in the EU's total landing gear output. Germany, while a major industrial power, shows a much lower specialization (RSCA of 0.12). Most other member states, including Spain and Italy, are characterized by a negative RSCA, indicating they are net importers in this specific product category.

Intra-EU Production Shows Modest Growth

EU production value for landing gear has grown significantly, increasing by 43.7% from €892 million to €1.28 billion between the first and last available production data points. This growth, occurring amidst rising trade values, suggests the industry is scaling to meet both internal and external demand. However, the concentration of this production remains high, with France and Germany collectively holding over 90% of the production share.

Trade Concentration is Higher for Imports than Exports

The concentration of trade partners, measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), is substantially higher for imports than for exports. The import HHI stands at 3,317, indicating a highly concentrated sourcing landscape dominated by the US and UK. In contrast, the export HHI is much lower at 1,218, reflecting a more diversified customer base. This asymmetry presents a structural vulnerability, as the EU's supply chain for landing gear is heavily reliant on a few external partners.

Strategic Implications: High Openness and Volatile Dependencies

The EU's landing gear sector is deeply integrated into global aerospace value chains, which brings competitive advantages but also exposes it to external shocks and partner-specific volatility.

A Highly Integrated but Export-Propensive Sector

The sector exhibits a very high export propensity (175.6% of production), meaning a large share of what the EU produces is destined for non-EU markets. While this indicates strong international competitiveness, it also ties the industry's health to global demand cycles. Similarly, trade intensity (128.3% of production) is high, underscoring the critical role of two-way trade flows.

Export and Import Relationships Show Differentiated Risk Profiles

Volatility analysis reveals that some of the EU's most important trade relationships are also among the most stable. The coefficient of variation for exports to the United Kingdom (0.11) and United States (0.15) is relatively low, indicating predictable flows. However, several key import partnerships exhibit high volatility. Notably, imports from Russia (CV of 0.62) and China (CV of 0.44) are highly variable, posing risks for supply chain planning. This suggests that while demand for EU products is steady, sourcing strategies may need to account for significant fluctuations from certain suppliers.

Conclusion

The EU's aircraft landing gear market has shown strong growth and improved its trade balance between 2015 and 2025, driven by robust export performance. The industry is highly specialized, with production concentrated in France and Germany. However, its trade structure reveals critical dependencies: the EU relies heavily on the United States and the United Kingdom for imports, relationships that are stable but leave the sector vulnerable to geopolitical or regulatory shifts in these key partner countries. While the net import reliance has decreased, the sector's deep integration into global value chains, evidenced by its high export propensity, necessitates continuous monitoring of trade volatility and partner concentrations to safeguard supply chain resilience and maintain competitive advantage.