"Between 2000 and 2006, the exports of goods from the 27 EU member states to Africa rose from 66 billion euros to 92 billion euros". In the same period, "imports of African goods to Europe rose from 85 to 126 billion euros". Eurostat publishes the trade and economic statistics regarding relations between the two banks of the Mediterranean, in the run-up to the EU-Africa summit due to take place in Lisbon tomorrow and on Sunday. The most outstanding figure is that of "the trade gap between the 27 member states and Africa", which has almost doubled over the last few years. Trade between the EU and the 53 African countries will be discussed in the Portuguese capital. The Statistics Office of the EU Commission explained that the main trade partners of the African Union are France, Italy, Germany and Spain. The countries that export their goods to the EU are, above all, South-Africa, Algeria and Libya. Of the European products that cross the sea bound for Africa, "one half are cars and other vehicles" and "another quarter is made up by manufactured goods", such as mobile phones and drugs. The European Union imports energy (oil and gas) as well as diamonds and unprocessed cocoa.
