Market evolution: Vehicle instrument panel clocks (CN 9104) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report examines the evolution of EU trade in instrument panel clocks and clocks of a similar type for vehicles, aircraft, vessels and other vehicles (Combined Nomenclature code 9104) over the 2015–2025 period. The analysis draws on trade data covering the EU's extra-EU flows, including values, volumes, partner shares, and concentration indicators.

The period under review reveals a market in structural decline. Both exports and imports have contracted sharply, EU domestic production has nearly vanished, and the Union has shifted from a modest net exporter to a heavily import-dependent actor. The dynamics at play are characteristic of a mature product category facing technological obsolescence in the age of digital instrument clusters.

1. A decoupling between falling volumes and rising unit values

1.1 Trade values have collapsed across the board

The most striking feature of CN 9104 trade over the decade is the sheer magnitude of the contraction. EU exports fell by 62.7% in value (from €26.5 million in 2015 to €9.9 million in 2025), while imports declined by 66.1% (from €36.3 million to €12.3 million). The trade overview shows both flows hitting their respective minima in the most recent period.

The decline in physical volumes is even starker when measured in pieces. EU export units plunged by 93.9% (from 455,743 to just 27,806 items), while import units fell by 55.7% (from 1,268,017 to 561,682). This asymmetry—export units falling almost twice as fast as import units—signals that the EU has progressively abandoned its role as a production and re-export platform for traditional instrument clocks.

1.2 Export prices per piece have surged, masking volume erosion

A notable countertrend appears in the unit-price dynamics. While export price per tonne edged down by 7.3%, the export price per piece rose by 511.3%—from €58.3 to €356.1. This divergence indicates that the few clocks still exported from the EU are of a fundamentally different character than a decade ago: heavier, more complex, higher-value units destined for niche applications (luxury vehicles, aircraft, marine vessels) rather than mass-market automotive instrument clusters.

By contrast, import prices have moved in the opposite direction, declining on both a per-tonne (−39.0%) and per-piece basis (−23.6%). This reflects the increasing prevalence of lower-cost, mass-produced units from Asian suppliers displacing the higher-value European product of the past.

1.3 EU production has essentially ceased

The most dramatic indicator of structural change lies in the PRODCOM production data. EU production of CN 9104 instruments collapsed from 1.6 million units (valued at €29.2 million) in 2015 to a mere 9,000 units (€1.2 million) in 2025—a decline of 99.4% in volume and 95.9% in value. The production value hit a trough of just €11,585 at one point during the period, effectively representing the near-total withdrawal of EU-based manufacturing of traditional instrument panel clocks.

2. Geographical realignment of trade partnerships

2.1 The collapse of the Tunisia corridor and the rise of Asian suppliers

The partner data reveals a dramatic reshuffling of the EU's import sources. Tunisia, which was the single largest supplier in 2015 at €19.0 million (over half of total imports), saw its exports to the EU collapse to just €17,697 by 2025—a decline of 99.9%. This likely reflects the relocation or closure of Franco-Tunisian production facilities that had served as extended workbenches for European automotive suppliers.

In the vacuum left by Tunisia, China and Hong Kong have emerged as growing suppliers. China's share rose by 60.3% and Hong Kong's by 128.4%. Combined with the declining prices per piece on the import side, this suggests that the remaining market for traditional instrument clocks is increasingly served by low-cost Asian production.

2.2 Export markets have concentrated and shifted toward the UK

On the export side, the picture is one of sharp contraction punctuated by one standout growth story. The United States, formerly the EU's top export destination at €8.2 million, shrank by 75.6% to €2.0 million. Exports to China collapsed by 97.0%, and to South Africa by 95.4%.

The one major exception is the United Kingdom, which saw EU exports increase by 419.8%—from €653,169 to €3,395,428. By 2025, the UK had become the EU's single largest export market for CN 9104. This likely reflects post-Brexit trade dynamics, where supply chains that previously operated seamlessly across the Channel now register as formal cross-border trade.

2.3 EU member states show divergent trajectories

The reporter-level data reveals significant variation among member states. On the import side, France experienced the steepest decline (−91.0%), consistent with the collapse of its Tunisia-linked supply chain. Denmark presents a dramatic anomaly on the import side, with imports surging by 80,218% (from €3,560 to €2.86 million), likely reflecting the relocation of a major distributor or the entry of a single large importer.

On the export side, Germany remains the largest EU exporter despite a 77.8% decline. Notably, Romanian exports—which peaked at €5.84 million during the period—fell to just €909, reflecting the rise and fall of contract manufacturing in Central Europe.

3. From self-sufficiency to import dependence

3.1 The EU has become structurally reliant on imports

The most consequential structural shift is captured by the net import reliance indicator. In 2015, the EU was a net exporter of CN 9104 instruments, with a negative import reliance of −11.1%. By 2025, this figure had swung to +84.6%, indicating that the vast majority of consumption is now satisfied by imports. At its peak, net import reliance reached 99.8%, meaning the EU was almost entirely dependent on external suppliers.

The trade balance itself tells the same story. While the deficit narrowed from €9.8 million to €2.4 million, this was driven not by improved competitiveness but by the collapse of both sides of the ledger—with production having essentially ceased.

3.2 Specialisation is now confined to a handful of member states

The specialisation analysis for 2025 shows that Denmark is the only EU member state with a strongly positive Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA of 0.95), driven by its outsized import activity and a production share of 64% of the EU total for this product. France retains a modest positive RSCA (0.25), while all other major producers show negative values—meaning they are net importers of CN 9104 instruments relative to their overall trade profile.

3.3 Import concentration has declined, export concentration has risen

The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index reveals an interesting asymmetry. On the import side, the HHI (by value) fell by 32.4%—from 3,329 to 2,250—indicating that the EU's supplier base has become more diversified. This is consistent with the shift away from a single dominant supplier (Tunisia) toward a broader set of Asian and other sources.

On the export side, the HHI rose by 20.7%—from 1,673 to 2,020—suggesting that the remaining export flows are increasingly concentrated in fewer destinations. The United Kingdom alone now accounts for over a third of EU CN 9104 exports by value.

Conclusion

The EU market for vehicle instrument panel clocks (CN 9104) has undergone a profound structural transformation over the 2015–2025 period. Domestic production has effectively ceased, declining by 99.4% in volume. Trade flows—both imports and exports—have contracted by roughly two-thirds in value. The EU has shifted from a position of near self-sufficiency to one of heavy import dependence (84.6% net import reliance).

These dynamics are best understood in the context of the automotive industry's transition from analogue to digital instrument clusters. Traditional pointer-and-dial instrument clocks are being replaced by TFT displays and software-defined dashboards, a product category that falls outside CN 9104. The few remaining trade flows in this code are increasingly dominated by niche, high-value applications (aviation, marine, classic vehicles) on the export side, and by low-cost Asian mass production on the import side.

The geographical realignment has been equally dramatic: Tunisia's near-total disappearance as a supplier, the rise of China and Hong Kong, the surge in EU–UK trade (likely a Brexit artefact), and the concentration of remaining EU production in Denmark and France. For policymakers and industry observers, CN 9104 serves as a microcosm of how technological disruption reshapes trade patterns within a decade.