b. GSP preferential imports in the three sectors
Based on sectoral data, the following analysis will focus on the GSP preferential imports
fromASEANcountries in the European market in the agricultural sector, industrial sector
and textile sector. Figure 3 shows that the total imports of industrial products follow a
similar pattern as total imports and experienced a significant increase during the last
decade, increasing from e11 billion in 1990 to e53.9 billion in 2000. It starts to stagnate
from 2000 onwards and go up again from 2003 onwards, increasing from e50.4 billion in
2003 to e66.3 billion in 2007. In contrast to the industrial products, the total imports in
agricultural products and textile products share a same course and only experienced a
twofold increase during the same period. Obviously, the industrial sector maintains a
dominant position with a share of 83 percent in total EU imports from all ASEAN
countries, against 10 percent for the agricultural sector and 7 percent for the textile sector.
Figure 4 shows the share of GSP preferential imports for the three product groups and
shows that the GSP preferential imports of industrial products occupied 67.4 percent of total preferential imports in 1997, against 16.9 percent for agricultural products and
15.7 percent for textile products, respectively. In 2007, the share of GSP preferential
imports of industrial products increased to 70 percent and the agricultural sector and
textile sector fell to 10 and 15.4 percent. As shown in Figure 5, the GSP preferential
imports of industrial products increased more than twofold in the period 1991-1995, from
e4.5 billion in 1991 to e9.4 billion in 1995. Between 1995 and 1999, it fell back to its 1991
level. Afterwards, however, it increased again to e10.3 billion in 2007. At the same time,
the agricultural sector and textile sector also suffered from a slight decline between 1999
and 2003. In 2007 the GSP preferential imports in the agricultural sector and textile
sector from the ASEAN countries amounted to e2.2 billion and e2 billion, respectively.