LUXEMBOURG - European companies have proved resilient to the recent rise in U.S. tariffs on European goods but continue to face significant frictions when trying to trade inside the European Union, according to a new survey published by the European Investment Bank (EIB).
The government-owned EIB - Europe’s largest investment bank - based its findings on responses from about 13,000 firms collected between April and July last year. The survey, titled the EIB Group Investment Survey 2025/2026, concludes that EU businesses have adapted to rapid technological change, the demands of the green transition and the sharp increases in U.S. import duties.
Last July, Washington and Brussels agreed a framework trade deal that imposed a 15% import tariff on most EU goods - a level the survey notes is half of the earlier threatened rate. The EIB report states that when the United States raised tariffs, American firms registered greater concern than their European counterparts. So far, the survey finds, the impact of those U.S. tariffs has been largely absorbed by U.S. importers, leaving the consequences manageable for EU exporters.
Alongside trade developments, the survey highlights technology adoption. It reports that EU firms are as advanced in their use of artificial intelligence as companies in the United States, and that AI deployment is helping to bolster productivity within European businesses.
Internal trade barriers
Despite coping with external pressure, many EU firms continue to encounter difficulties selling to customers in other EU countries. The EIB found that differing national laws across the bloc’s 27 member states have obstructed exports for 62% of European companies, underlining that the single market for goods and services remains incomplete in practice.
The report models the potential gains from removing these obstacles. It estimates that eliminating internal barriers could raise the ratio of firm investment to assets by 10%, with even larger improvements projected for intangible investment.
These results align with research cited in the report from the International Monetary Fund, which has estimated that diverging regulations within the EU are equivalent to a 44% tariff on goods and a 110% tariff on services.
The EIB survey thus draws a contrast: externally, European exporters have weathered higher U.S. tariffs without outsized damage; internally, fragmented regulatory regimes continue to limit market access and investment potential.