The EU's trade deficit with China is approximately 1 billion euros per day.

Omissions

• The figure refers specifically to trade in goods, not total trade (goods plus services). The EU runs a surplus in services trade with China, which partially offsets the goods deficit. The total trade deficit would therefore be somewhat smaller than stated, though the goods deficit is the standard metric used in EU political discourse on this topic.
• The MEP did not specify the reference year. The figure is consistent with both the full-year 2025 data and the Q1 2026 quarterly data available before the session date of 2026-06-17.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat — Statistics ExplainedThe EU trade deficit in goods with China worsened from €65 billion in Q1 2024 to €98 billion in Q1 2026. Q1 2026 imports grew to €145 billion.
• SecondaryPoliticoThe EU's trade deficit in goods with China widened to €359.3 billion in 2025, up nearly a fifth from €304.5 billion in 2024, according to data published by Eurostat.
• SecondaryThe Brussels TimesThe EU exported €199.6 billion worth of goods to China in 2025 and imported €559.4 billion, leaving a trade deficit of €359.8 billion.