Austria’s foreign trade is still strongly oriented toward the European Union. About two-thirds of goods flows go to EU partners, especially Germany. At the same time, non-EU countries like the United States, China, and Switzerland are becoming increasingly important. Their share of trade volume is steadily rising, opening up new growth opportunities.
These markets offer significant potential, but they also come with greater risks — such as tariffs, exchange rate volatility, and strategic dependencies on raw materials, particularly with regard to China. Austria’s exports to non-EU countries are mainly concentrated in machinery, pharmaceutical products, and auto parts.
Companies active in third-country markets tend to be more productive, innovative, and generate higher employment. They make a major contribution to domestic value creation: roughly one-third of all jobs in Austria are directly tied to foreign demand — nearly half of those to demand from non-EU countries.
In light of this, trade liberalization and the signing of free trade agreements are considered key tools for safeguarding Austria’s competitiveness.