The EU's automotive trade balance with China swung from a €23 billion surplus in 2019 to a €6 billion deficit.
72% confidence
EconomyEuropean Union
Omissions
The exact figures (€23 billion surplus in 2019 and €6 billion deficit) were found explicitly in a single independent secondary source — OICA's news summary of 23 March 2026; the underlying ACEA Economic and Market Report (full-year 2025) could not be consulted directly within the search limit.
The scope of 'automotive trade' is not specified: ACEA's directly available data concern new vehicle trade (exports of 161,514 vehicles / €8.5 billion vs. imports of 1,105,806 vehicles in 2025), and it is unclear whether the €6 billion figure includes parts and components or refers to vehicles only.
The reference period of the 'current' deficit is imprecise ('today' — most plausibly full-year 2025 data published in early 2026, i.e. before the 2026-07-07 session).
Context omitted by the MEP: the €6 billion automotive deficit is small compared with the EU's overall goods trade deficit with China, which Eurostat put at €98 billion in Q1 2026 — the automotive swing does not represent the overall EU-China trade picture.
Sources
PrimaryEurostat — Statistics Explained: EU trade with China - latest developments'The EU trade in goods deficit with China in Q1 2026 (€98 billion) was the highest since Q3 2022 (€107 billion)... the EU trade deficit in goods with China worsened from €65 billion in Q1 2024 to €98 billion in Q1 2026.' — context: the overall goods trade deficit with China is far larger than the automotive deficit cited.
SecondaryOICA (International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers) — 5 major news items summarized'... 23 billion surplus in 2019 into a €6 billion deficit. Germany was hit particularly hard, with exports to China sharply down and sector ...' — the text describes the EU automotive trade balance with China turning from a surplus of €23 billion in 2019 into a €6 billion deficit.
SecondaryACEA — Fact sheet: EU-China vehicle trade'161,514 new vehicles were exported from the EU to China in 2025, valuing €8.5 billion · 1,105,806 new vehicles were imported into the EU from China...' — confirms the deficit direction of EU vehicle trade with China in 2025.