Abstract
The EU15 manufacturing trade with developing and emerging economies has now overtaken its trade with high-income countries. This trade has strengthened the European specialization in high-end products and medium-high technological sectors. The EU15 exports have been increasingly concentrated on its neighbours, while its imports from Asia were the most dynamic. The regional integration has favoured the technological and quality upgrading of the EU15 imports from its neighbours, while its imports from Asia were characterised by the surge of high-technology goods at low prices. The EU has increasingly concentrated its trade on the large emerging economies and especially on Russia and China.