The share of exports and imports of goods in terms of GDP within the euro area increased by 6 percentage points between 1998, the year before the adoption of the euro, and 2006, when it amounted to around 32% of GDP.
The share of intra-euro area exports and imports of services increased by about 2 percentage points from 1998 to 2006, to almost 7% of GDP. As trade integration within the euro area becomes stronger, the region is also becoming a more open economy to the outside world.