Market evolution: Razors (CN 821210) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report examines the evolution of EU trade in non-electric razors of base metal (customs code 821210) over the period 2015–2025. The overall product scope covers two sub-headings: safety razors with non-replaceable blades (82121010) and all other non-electric razors (82121090). Throughout the period, the EU has maintained a large and growing trade surplus in this product category, driven primarily by Poland as the dominant production and export hub. However, beneath this headline stability lie significant structural shifts — in trade geography, unit values, product composition, and partner concentration — that tell a more nuanced story of the European razor market's transformation.

1. A Widening Surplus Fueled by Volume, Not Value

1.1. The EU's trade surplus has expanded steadily

Over the full period, the EU's trade surplus in non-electric razors grew from €319 million in 2015 to €365 million in 2025, an increase of 14.6%. Export values rose 8.7% (from €470 million to €510 million), while import values fell 3.8% (from €151 million to €145 million). The surplus reached its lowest point at €218 million, recovering strongly to set a new peak by 2025.

Source: General Overview — Trade

1.2. Export growth has been volume-driven, with declining unit prices

While the headline export value grew modestly (+8.7%), export volumes surged far more: by 22.6% in tonnes and 27.3% in pieces. This means that unit prices actually fell — by 11.4% per tonne and 14.6% per piece over the period. EU exporters are shipping substantially more razors at lower average prices, a dynamic consistent with intensified global competition and the commoditisation of standard safety-razor products.

1.3. Import volumes in pieces have halved despite stable mass

On the import side, the picture is strikingly different. The tonnage of imports remained essentially flat (+2.0%), but the number of individual items imported collapsed by 50.3% — from 704 million pieces to just 350 million. This divergence points to a compositional shift: the EU is importing far fewer disposable safety razors (the lightweight, high-volume sub-category 82121010) and relatively more premium or system razors (82121090), which are heavier per unit. The average price per imported piece consequently nearly doubled (+92.2%), even as the price per tonne declined (−5.7%).

2. A Dramatic Geographical Reorientation of Trade Flows

2.1. Imports have pivoted decisively toward Asia

The most striking geographic shift in EU razor trade has been the reorientation of imports toward Asian suppliers, at the expense of traditional Western partners. Two dynamics stand out:

• Vietnam surged from €3.7 million in imports (2015) to €58.8 million (2025), a staggering increase of 1,484%, making it the EU's largest single import source — overtaking China.
• China also grew substantially, from €28.9 million to €51.6 million (+78.5%), remaining a major supplier.

In contrast, nearly every traditional Western import partner collapsed:

• United Kingdom: from €37.7 million to €5.4 million (−85.6%), largely reflecting post-Brexit trade restructuring.
• United States: from €15.6 million to €5.9 million (−62.4%).
• Mexico: from €19.3 million to €2.1 million (−89.2%).
• Israel: from €8.6 million to €0.06 million (−99.3%).
• Egypt: from €5.5 million to €0.1 million (−97.9%).

Source: General Overview — Top Partners

This shift likely reflects strategic relocation of manufacturing capacity by multinational razor companies (such as Procter & Gamble and Edgewell) from traditional production bases to Vietnam and China, where production costs are lower.

2.2. Export destinations have also reconfigured, with divergent trajectories

On the export side, the United Kingdom remained the EU's largest single export market but declined significantly: from €124 million to €80 million (−35.2%). Exports to Russia also fell from €46 million to €24 million (−47.0%), likely reflecting geopolitical disruptions from 2022 onwards.

Conversely, several markets expanded:

• United States: from €23.5 million to €41.0 million (+74.5%), making it the fastest-growing major export destination.
• Türkiye: from €31.2 million to €46.3 million (+48.1%).
• Ukraine: from €9.6 million to €16.6 million (+72.1%).
• Saudi Arabia remained broadly stable at approximately €40–42 million.

Source: General Overview — Top Partners

2.3. Rising import concentration signals growing supplier dependency

A direct consequence of the geographical reorientation is a sharp increase in import concentration. The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for imports by value more than doubled from 1,375 to 3,039 (+120.9%), crossing from a moderately concentrated to a highly concentrated market. By volume, the HHI rose from 1,310 to 3,704 (+182.8%). This means the EU's import base for razors has become significantly narrower, with fewer suppliers accounting for larger shares — primarily Vietnam and China.

In contrast, the export HHI fell from 998 to 650 (−34.9%), indicating that EU exports have become more diversified across destination markets.

Source: Market Structure — Concentration

3. Shifting Product Mix, Production Footprint, and EU Member State Roles

3.1. The product composition of trade has shifted between sub-categories

CN 821210 bundles two distinct sub-products. Their trade trajectories diverged markedly over the period:

Imports:

• 82121010 (safety razors with non-replaceable blades): Import volumes in pieces collapsed from 660 million to 217 million (−67%), while mass declined from 6,747 t to 4,427 t. These are the classic low-cost disposable razors, and their import decline likely reflects both a substitution toward reusable system razors and the relocation of production to within the EU.
• 82121090 (other non-electric razors): Import pieces tripled from 44 million to 133 million, and mass rose from 2,977 t to 5,354 t. Yet the per-piece price fell from €1.35 to €0.68 (−50%), indicating that these imports increasingly consist of lower-cost products sourced from Asia, not premium razors.

Exports:

• 82121010: Export pieces grew from 1,518 million to 1,939 million (+28%), confirming the EU's role as a major production base for disposable safety razors — with Poland as the dominant manufacturing centre.
• 82121090: Export pieces edged up from 61 million to 71 million (+15%), but value fell from €150 million to €133 million (−12%), with per-piece prices dropping from €2.45 to €1.87 (−24%), pointing to margin compression.

Source: Product Segment Breakdown

3.2. Poland anchors EU razor exports, while Greece and Czechia emerge as new hubs

Poland has consistently been the EU's razor export powerhouse, accounting for roughly half of all EU exports by value: from €249 million in 2015 to €257 million in 2025 (+3.3%). This stability reflects the country's established manufacturing base, including major production facilities for multinational brands.

However, two EU member states showed extraordinary export growth:

• Greece: exports surged from a negligible €2,631 to €110 million. This near-zero-to-hero trajectory may reflect the establishment of new logistics, re-packaging, or production operations, or a re-routing of trade flows through Greek ports.
• Czechia: exports grew from €2.7 million to €31.1 million (+1,065%), confirming the country's rising role as a manufacturing base for razor products.

Conversely, Belgium's exports fell sharply from €96 million to €17 million (−82.4%), and France declined from €50 million to €34 million (−31.0%).

Source: General Overview — Top Reporters

3.3. Specialisation data confirms Central Europe's comparative advantage

Revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) data for 2025 confirms the concentration of razor manufacturing in Central and Southern Europe. Greece leads with the highest RSCA (0.87) and an RCA of 14.45, followed by Czechia (RSCA 0.65, RCA 4.70) and Poland (RSCA 0.63, RCA 4.47). Together, these three countries account for the vast majority of the EU's production capacity for CN 821210.

EU-level production value grew from €77 million to €186 million (+141.3%) over the available data window, with a peak at €438 million — though the production figures do not fully capture the scale of intra-EU activity that feeds into the large export volumes.

Source: Market Structure — Specialisation

Conclusion

The EU's non-electric razor market over 2015–2025 is characterised by a paradox: a growing trade surplus and expanding export volumes coexist with falling unit prices and a fundamental reshaping of the import supply chain. The EU has consolidated its position as a major net exporter — the net import reliance indicator swung from +50.7% in 2015 to −276% in 2025, reflecting a massive export surplus relative to domestic production.

Yet this expansion has come at the cost of lower unit values, suggesting competitive pressure on margins. On the import side, the dramatic rise of Vietnam (+1,484%) and the retreat of the UK, US, and other Western suppliers have created a far more concentrated and Asia-dependent import base — a vulnerability highlighted by the doubling of the import HHI.

Within the EU, Poland's dominance as the razor manufacturing hub remains unchallenged, while the emergence of Greece and Czechia as significant exporters signals a diversification of the EU's internal production geography. The export propensity reaching 261% in 2025 underscores the EU's deep integration into global razor supply chains — both as an exporter and, increasingly, as a platform for re-exporting products that incorporate components sourced from Asia.