Second in Line: Vehicles Imports Cools

The flows do not argue. They arrive, get cleared, and become record. The largest year-over-year shift in the EU trade mirror this cycle: across all 27 EU reporters, vehicles (HS87) imports fell €152.9B year-over-year (-4%, 2024→2025). Close behind, mineral fuels and oils (HS27) imports fell €589.3B year-over-year (-13.8%, 2024→2025). Moving the other way, precious stones and metals (HS71) imports rose €127.5B year-over-year (+28.4%, 2024→2025). Seasonally, vehicles (HS87) imports into DE peak in Mar (index 1.131) and trough in Dec (index 0.752), averaged over 2021–2025. For Jul, the index reads 0.982 — the seasonal pattern sits near its baseline, so volume gives little directional steer this month. This is a reading of the flows, not a price call. Read enough of them and the pressure shows itself before the headlines do.

This post is informational, derived from descriptive EU customs-clearing statistics (Eurostat COMEXT). It is not financial or investment advice and contains no price forecast. Trade flows describe what already moved; they do not predict prices.