Market evolution: Sporting goods (CN 9506) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report analyzes the evolution of European Union trade in sporting goods, covered under Customs Code 9506, from 2015 to 2025. The category encompasses a wide range of products, from gym equipment and athletics gear to outdoor games and swimming pools. Over the decade, the EU market for these goods experienced significant growth, but this expansion was coupled with profound structural shifts in trade patterns, production, and supply chain dependencies. The data reveals a story of robust demand, an increasing reliance on external suppliers—particularly from Asia—and a strategic repositioning of the EU's own export capabilities.

A Decade of Robust Growth Expands the Trade Deficit

The period from 2015 to 2025 was characterized by strong growth in both the value and volume of the EU's external trade in sporting goods. However, the growth in imports consistently outpaced that of exports, leading to a substantial widening of the trade deficit.

Strong Growth in Trade Flows

Between 2015 and 2025, the value of EU imports from non-EU countries grew by 57.8%, rising from €3.29 billion to €5.19 billion. Import volumes (net mass) grew even more sharply, increasing by 64.1% from 628,357 tonnes to 1,031,232 tonnes. EU exports also saw healthy expansion, with value rising by 53.6% (from €1.68 billion to €2.58 billion) and volume increasing by 27.6% (from 159,590 to 203,621 tonnes). This growth reflects sustained European demand for sporting equipment and the EU's continued role as a supplier, particularly of specialized and higher-value products.

The Widening Trade Deficit

Despite the growth on both sides, the trade deficit deteriorated significantly. It expanded by 62.2% in nominal terms, from -€1.61 billion in 2015 to -€2.61 billion in 2025. The deficit reached its widest point in 2021, at -€4.01 billion, a year marked by a surge in imports amid the post-COVID-19 rebound in consumer spending on home fitness and outdoor activities. The data indicates that while the EU market grew, it became increasingly dependent on imports to satisfy its demand.

Unit Price Dynamics Suggest Divergent Trends

A notable divergence occurred in unit prices. The average price of EU imports decreased by 3.8% over the period, suggesting increased supply and potentially more cost-competitive sourcing. In contrast, the average price of EU exports increased by 20.4%. This points to a possible specialization of EU producers in higher-value-added sporting goods, even as the overall market demand was increasingly met by lower-priced imports.

Geographic Shifts: Concentrated Imports and Diversifying Exports

The source of the EU's imports and the destination of its exports underwent significant transformation, revealing divergent strategies in supply chain management and market penetration.

China's Dominant and Growing Role in EU Imports

The EU's import market became more concentrated, as measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI). China solidified its position as the overwhelmingly dominant supplier. In 2025, Chinese goods accounted for €3.60 billion, representing 69% of all non-EU imports by value—a massive increase of 81.2% from 2015.

Source: EU trade partners data

The Rise of Secondary Asian Suppliers

Alongside China, other Asian nations saw substantial growth as suppliers to the EU. Imports from Vietnam (+168.0%), Pakistan (+60.4%), and Thailand (+55.7%) all increased sharply, indicating a diversification of sourcing within Asia rather than a shift away from the continent. This pattern suggests EU importers are developing a broader, yet regionally focused, supply network to manage risk and costs.

EU Exports: Stable Core with Dynamic Growth Markets

In contrast to the import side, the EU's export base remained geographically diversified, with an HHI that decreased by 9.0% over the decade. Traditional markets like the United Kingdom, United States, and Switzerland remained the top three destinations. However, the most dynamic growth was seen in exports to China (+150.5%) and, notably, to Switzerland (+59.8%). The strong performance in Switzerland—a market known for premium products—aligns with the observed increase in EU export unit prices.

Rising Import Reliance and Structural Reconfiguration

Beneath the headline trade figures lie profound structural changes that have increased the EU's vulnerability to external supply chains while signaling a strategic shift in its own production landscape.

A Doubling of Net Import Reliance

The EU's net import reliance more than doubled, from 16.2% in 2015 to 34.1% in 2025. This metric, which measures the share of domestic demand met by imports, highlights a significant deepening of dependency. The peak of 50.7% in 2021 underscores the acute vulnerability during supply chain disruptions. Simultaneously, trade intensity (the ratio of trade to production) and export propensity also rose, indicating that the EU's sporting goods sector is deeply integrated into global value chains, importing components and finished goods for both domestic consumption and re-export.

EU Production: Higher Value, Lower Volume

Data on EU production reveals a clear structural shift. While the value of EU production increased by 27.4% over the decade, the quantity (in items) plummeted by 84.0%. This stark contrast suggests a move away from mass-volume manufacturing. EU production is likely focusing on higher-value, specialized, or premium sporting equipment (e.g., high-performance skis, technical apparel) where it maintains a competitive advantage, while routine and high-volume goods are increasingly sourced from abroad. This is corroborated by the strong performance of EU exports in high-price segments like ski equipment and water sports gear.

Volatility and Supply Chain Shocks

The concentration of imports in Asia, particularly China, exposed the EU to supply-side volatility. The coefficient of variation (CV) for imports from China (0.32) and Hong Kong (0.46) was high. The analysis identified a major price shock in 2022, with import prices from China surging by 47.0%. This event likely reflects the compound pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic aftermath, shipping cost inflation, and increased energy prices, all of which were concentrated in the EU's primary supply corridor.

Conclusion

The EU market for sporting goods expanded substantially between 2015 and 2025, driven by solid consumer and institutional demand. However, this growth was almost entirely fed by a surge in imports, primarily from China and secondarily from other Asian economies, which led to a doubling of the EU's net import reliance. Concurrently, the EU's own production and export strategies appear to have reconfigured: domestic manufacturing shifted toward higher-value items, and exports grew strongly in value and diversification, particularly to premium markets. This has created a more polarized industry structure—highly integrated and vulnerable at the import end, and increasingly specialized and competitive at the export end. The key challenge for the EU sporting goods sector remains managing the risks inherent in its concentrated supply chains while capitalizing on its niche in the global high-value segment.