Europe is the world's largest exporter of recreational boats, and its exports have more than doubled in ten years, Philip Easthill, secretary general of European Boating Industry (EBI), told a press briefing on 7 October 2026, Marine Industry News reported. He was quoting World Trade Organization figures, which cover everything from boats of about 4 metres to superyachts of 50–60 metres and more. The growth is uneven. Yachts from 20 metres are doing well, Easthill said, and small and mid-size boats are struggling.
Which boats are under pressure, according to EBI
"The smaller boat segment is more under pressure," Easthill said. The briefing linked this to the squeeze on Europe's middle class. Easthill named inflation, interest rates and geopolitics as what makes life harder for builders and dealers. Buyers take longer to decide, he said, but the decision will still come. The segment from 20 metres, new builds and refits alike, he described as resilient and strong. Marinas, charter, boat rental and the second-hand market are also doing well in most of Europe, he said.
People still want to be on the water. "There is no lack of interest in boating and water sports. We saw it this summer. People want to be out on the water. People are out on the water," Easthill said. The new boat is the purchase that gets put off. Of the three troubled companies we covered in August, Nautitech, Temo and FB Marine Group, only the Florida dealer's case came down to the market.
By the figures Easthill presented, exports outside the EU have grown about threefold, while trade between EU countries grew more slowly. He sees room to grow at home, since the European market is "more stable in terms of geopolitical environment".
Motor yachts over 24 metres make up two thirds of EU exports
Eurostat, the EU statistics office, keeps its own customs figures for the EU-27 under heading HS 8903, yachts and other vessels for pleasure or sports. In euros, EU exports outside the bloc went from €5.30bn in 2015 to €11.45bn in 2025, 2.2 times more.
| Year | Exports outside the EU | Imports from outside the EU | Trade between EU countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | €5.30bn | €1.48bn | €1.46bn |
| 2022 | €7.76bn | €3.41bn | €3.99bn |
| 2023 | €10.35bn | €3.31bn | €3.84bn |
| 2024 | €10.53bn | €3.65bn | €3.49bn |
| 2025 | €11.45bn | €4.45bn | €3.24bn |
In 2023 the EU sold about three times as much outside the bloc as it bought from there. In 2025 the figure was about two and a half times. Trade between EU countries has now fallen three years running from its 2022 peak.
Since 2022 the customs data also splits exports by length, and the split shows where the money comes from.
| Exports outside the EU | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor vessels over 24 m | €3.99bn | €5.90bn | €6.40bn | €7.63bn |
| Motor boats 7.5–24 m | €1.79bn | €2.00bn | €2.05bn | €1.94bn |
| Sailing boats 7.5–24 m | €0.88bn | €1.08bn | €0.99bn | €0.75bn |
Motor vessels over 24 metres brought in €7.63bn of the €11.45bn in 2025, and their exports grew 91% in three years. Mid-size motor boats have hovered around €2bn and slipped 5% last year. Sailing boats between 7.5 and 24 metres lost 31% of their export value after 2023. Easthill draws his line for large yachts at 20 metres; the customs tables draw it at 24.
Where the boats go and who builds them
The Netherlands and Italy shipped 78% of EU exports outside the bloc in 2025, €5.72bn and €3.26bn. Both are home to superyacht yards: Feadship and Oceanco in the Netherlands, Azimut, Benetti, Ferretti and Sanlorenzo in Italy. Poland's exports outside the EU rose from €0.12bn to €0.52bn in ten years. The country builds about 22,000 boats a year and sends 95% of them abroad, as we wrote in our piece on Saxdor's Polish production.
The United States is the largest named market in the 2025 figures, at €1.65bn. In July 2025 EBI called it "the most important export market" for European boatbuilders. Beneteau has since pulled out of US manufacturing, which leaves its production almost entirely in Europe. The UK took €0.78bn. The Cayman Islands (€1.22bn), Marshall Islands and British Virgin Islands appear in the list as superyacht registries, and another €4.88bn is recorded with no destination country. In March 2026 EBI welcomed new EU trade agreements with Mercosur, Australia and India. Company accounts are less tidy: in the first half of 2026 Beneteau's revenue grew and Ferretti's new-yacht revenue fell.
Sailing buyers are turning to used boats
At the same briefing Petros Michelidakis, director of boot Düsseldorf, said: "Sailing is still in trouble. The market is moving slowly. So we have to find ways to grow the market again." The show's own research found that 50% of people shopping for a sailing boat in 2025 wanted a used one. In 2026 it was about 62%. "Why should I buy a sailing boat for €300,000 when I find one in a very good condition for a €150,000?" he said.
Easthill saw signs of better sentiment at the first autumn shows in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe and expects it to carry over to boot. "There is a bit of a positive feeling coming," he said. The 58th boot Düsseldorf runs from 23 to 31 January 2027 with about 1,500 exhibitors from some 70 countries. According to Easthill, the European boating industry has around 32,000 companies and 280,000 direct jobs, and Europe's fleet numbers some 6.5 million boats; EBI is also working with ICOMIA and NMMA on lifecycle assessment for boats.
Photo: Messe Düsseldorf / Tillmann. Source: Marine Industry News (08.10.2026), Eurostat Comext (HS 8903, EU-27), European Boating Industry, boot Düsseldorf.
