In 2021, extra-EU trade saw a strong recovery from the drops in exports and imports registered in 2020 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, imports increased by 23% and exports by 13%. Looking at the last decade, the export growth rate peaked in 2011 (+13%) and remained positive until 2016 when it dropped (-0.5%), being followed by a 7% recovery in 2017. The export growth rate stayed positive in the next two years but decreased sharply in 2020 (-9%) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The import growth rate also peaked in 2011 (+13%), followed by small fluctuations between 2012 and 2015, before growing significantly in 2017 (+11%) and 2018 (+8%), and closing the decade with a sharp decrease (-12%) in 2020. (....)