China is the main source of EU imports and the third-largest destination for EU exports.

Omissions

• The claim does not specify whether it refers to trade in goods only or goods and services combined. All sources found refer to trade in goods, which is the conventional measure for such rankings.
• The claim does not cite a specific year or data period. The most recent full-year data available at the time of the session (2026-06-17) was for 2025, and Eurostat confirms China as the #1 import source for 2025.
• For the export ranking, while US (#1, ~21%) and UK (#2, ~13%) were explicitly confirmed by Destatis, no source was found explicitly stating China as the #3 export destination — the claim is consistent with available data but the exact #3 ranking for exports could not be confirmed with a primary source in the searches conducted.
• The Eurostat news article on China trade (published 2026-04-10) was available to the MEP at the time of the session.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat — International trade in goodsChina was the largest supplier of goods into the EU in 2025 with a share of 22.3%. The United States (14.1%) followed at some distance. In 2025, the United States was the largest destination for EU exports of goods, while China was the largest origin for EU imports of goods.
• PrimaryDestatis (German Federal Statistical Office) — Europe: US most important trading partners of the EUThe US was the most common destination for goods exported from the EU (21%), with the United Kingdom ranked second (13%). Other major trading partners of the EU-27 in 2025 were the United Kingdom (10%), Switzerland (7%) and Turkey (4%).
• PrimaryEurostat — Trade in goods with China in 2025In 2025, the EU exported €199.6 billion worth of goods to China and imported €559.4 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of €359.8 billion.