China-EU - international trade in goods statistics

Data extracted in February 2023

Planned article update March 2024

Highlights

In 2022, China was the third largest partner for EU exports of goods (9.0 %) and the largest partner for EU imports of goods (20.8 %).

Among EU Member States, the Netherlands was the largest importer of goods from China and Germany was the largest exporter of goods to China in 2022.

EU trade in goods with China, 2012-2022

This article provides a picture of the international trade in goods between the European Union (EU) and China. It analyses the type of goods exchanged between the two economies and the shares of each EU Member State in those exchanges.

This article is part of an online publication providing recent statistics on international trade in goods, covering information on the EU's main partners, main goods traded, specific characteristics of trade as well as background information.

Full article

Recent developments

EU exports to China did not change much between January 2021 (€18.9 billion) and December 2022 (€19.2 billion) although they reached a low of €17.5 billion in July 2021 and a high of €20.2 billion in February 2022 (Figure 1). Imports from China were at a low of €33.5 billion in January 2021. By December 2022 they had recovered to €46.6 billion. In this period they reached a high of €55.5 billion in September 2022. In January 2021 the trade deficit was €14.6 billion, It reached a high of €36.0 billion in September 2022 before falling to €27.4 billion in December 2022.

Figure 1: EU trade in goods with China, 2021-2022
(€ billion, seasonally and working-day adjusted)
Source: Eurostat (ext_st_eu27_2020sitc)

Figure 2 compares EU trade with China against EU trade with other non-EU countries. Between January 2021 and December 2022, EU imports from China increased by 39.0 %. Imports from other non-EU countries (+72.4 %) grew more strongly due to sharp increases in the prices of energy products. EU exports to China increased by 1.6 % while exports to other non-EU countries increased by 28.8 %.

Figure 2: EU trade in goods with China and other non-EU countries, 2021-2022
(Jan 2021 = 100 %, seasonally and working-day adjusted)
Source: Eurostat (ext_st_eu27_2020sitc)

EU and China in world trade in goods

Figure 3 shows the world's largest traders of goods. China (€2 844 billion, 18.4 %) was the largest exporter in the world, followed by the EU (€2 181 billion, 14.1 %), the United States (€1 483 billion, 9.6 %), Japan (€639 billion, 4.1 %) and Hong Kong (€566 billion, 3.7 %). China (€2 273 billion, 14.4 %) was the second largest importer in the world, preceded by the United States (€2 482 billion, 15.8 %) and followed by the EU (€2 126 billion, 13.5 %), Japan (€650 billion, 4.1 %) and Hong Kong (€602 billion, 3.8 %).

Figure 3: China among the world's largest traders of goods, 2021
(% share of world exports/imports)
Source: Eurostat (ext_lt_introeu27_2020) and UNCTAD

The imports and exports of goods of the EU and China indexed at 100 in 2011 for the period to 2021 are shown in Figure 4. It also shows the cover ratio (exports / imports) for this period. Exports from the EU were lowest in 2011 (100) and highest in 2021 (134). Imports to the EU were lowest in 2016 (96) and highest in 2021 (128). The cover ratio for the EU was lowest in 2011 (97 %) and highest in 2016 (116 %) and was 103 % in 2021. Exports from China were lowest in 2011 (100) and highest in 2021 (177). Imports to China were lowest in 2016 (91) and highest in 2021 (154). The cover ratio for China was lowest in 2011 (109 %) and highest in 2015 (135 %) and was 125 % in 2021.

Figure 4: Trade in goods of the EU and China, 2011-2021
(exports and imports indexed at 100 in 2011, cover ratio in %)
Source: Eurostat (ext_lt_introeu27_2020) and UNCTAD

China largest partner for EU imports of goods in 2022

The position of China among the largest trade partners of the EU in 2022 can be seen in Figure 5. In 2022, China was the third largest partner for EU exports of goods (9.0 %). It was preceded by the United States (19.8 %) and the United Kingdom (12.8 %) and followed by Switzerland (7.3 %) and Türkiye (3.9 %). It was the largest partner for EU imports of goods (20.8 %). It was followed by the United States (11.9 %), the United Kingdom (7.3 %), Russia (6.8 %) and Norway (5.4 %).

Figure 5: China among the EU's main partners for trade in goods, 2022
(% share of extra-EU exports/imports)
Source: Eurostat (ext_st_eu27_2020sitc) and Comext DS-018995

EU-China trade by type of goods

The breakdown of EU trade with China by SITC groups is shown in Figure 6. The red shades denote the primary goods: food & drink, raw materials and energy, while the blue shades show the manufactured goods: chemicals, machinery & vehicles and other manufactured goods. Finally, other goods are shown in green. In 2022, EU exports of manufactured goods (87 %) had a higher share than primary goods (11 %). The most exported manufactured goods were machinery & vehicles (52 %), followed by other manufactured goods (19 %) and chemicals (16 %). In 2022, EU imports of manufactured goods (97 %) also had a higher share than primary goods (3 %). The most imported manufactured goods were machinery & vehicles (53 %), followed by other manufactured goods (33 %) and chemicals (11 %).

Figure 6: EU trade with China by product group, 2012 and 2022
(€ billion)
Source: Eurostat (ext_st_eu27_2020sitc) and Comext DS-018995

Figure 7 shows the evolution of EU imports and exports by SITC group since 2012. In 2022, the EU had trade surpluses in other goods (€0.8 billion), raw materials (€4.7 billion) and food & drink (€7.6 billion). The EU had trade deficits in energy (€2.4 billion), chemicals (€28.5 billion), other manufactured goods (€163.6 billion) and machinery & vehicles (€214.3 billion).

Figure 7: EU trade with China by group, 2012-2022
(€ billion)
Source: Eurostat (ext_st_eu27_2020sitc) and Comext DS-018995

EU-China most traded goods

More detail about the goods exchanged between the EU and China is given in Figure 8, showing the 20 most traded goods at SITC-3 level. These top 20 goods covered 55 % of total trade in goods in 2022. Ten belonged to machinery and vehicles, seven to other manufactured goods and three to chemicals. The most traded group of goods at this level was telecommunications equipment. Another interesting way to look at the data is to investigate the cover ratio (exports / imports) of traded goods, showing the direction of the trade flows between the two economies. These ratios can be found in the right-side margin of Figure 8. 14 products were below 50 %, indicating EU imports from China were more than twice as large as EU exports to China. Two products were above 200 %, indicating EU exports to China were more than twice as large as EU imports from China. Four products were between 50 % and 200 %, showing more balanced trade.

Telecommunications equipment and automatic data processing machines remained the two most imported products from China in 2022, both with slightly higher values than in 2021 (Figure 8). Much larger increases were registered for electrical machinery and apparatus and electronic tubes, valves and related articles. However by far the largest increase was seen for organo-inorganic and related compounds which went from €6.8 billion in 2021 to €28.6 billion in 2022.

Figure 8: EU most imported goods from China, 2022
(€ billion)
Source: Eurostat DS-018995

Motor cars and motor vehicles remained the top exported product to China in 2022, increasing by €3.1 billion compared with 2021 (Figure 9). Electronic tubes, valves and related articles, growing by €2.8 billion overtook motor vehicle parts for which exports dropped by €0.4 billion.

Figure 9: EU most exported goods to China, 2022
(€ billion)
Source: Eurostat DS-018995

Trade with China by EU Member State

Table 1a shows the imports of goods from China by EU Member State. The three largest importers from China in the EU were the Netherlands (€138 790 million), Germany (€130 030 million) and Italy (€57 506 million). Czechia (47.7 %) had the highest share for China in its extra-EU imports.

Table 1a: EU imports of goods from China, 2022
Source: Eurostat (ext_st_eu27_2020sitc) and Comext DS-018995

Table 1b shows the exports of goods to China by EU Member State. The three largest exporters to China in the EU were Germany (€106 853 million), France (€23 705 million) and the Netherlands (€18 691 million). Germany (15.0 %) had the highest share for China in its extra-EU exports.

Table 1b: EU exports of goods to China, 2022
Source: Eurostat (ext_st_eu27_2020sitc) and Comext DS-018995

The trade in goods balance between the EU Member States and China is shown in Table 1c. It shows that only Ireland (€773 million) had a trade surplus with China. The other 26 EU Member States all had a trade deficit with China. The largest deficit was held by the Netherlands (€120 098 million), followed by Italy (€41 065 million) and Poland (€34 639 million).

Table 1c: EU trade balance of goods with China, 2022
Source: Eurostat (ext_st_eu27_2020sitc) and Comext DS-018995

Source data for tables and graphs

EU - China international trade in goods statistics - graphs and tables

Data sources

EU data is taken from Eurostat's COMEXT database. COMEXT is the reference database for international trade in goods. It provides access not only to both recent and historical data from the EU Member States but also to statistics of a significant number of non-EU countries. International trade aggregated and detailed statistics disseminated via the Eurostat website are compiled from COMEXT data according to a monthly process.

Data are collected by the competent national authorities of the EU Member States and compiled according to a harmonised methodology established by EU regulations before transmission to Eurostat. For extra-EU trade, the statistical information is mainly provided by the traders on the basis of customs declarations.

EU data are compiled according to EU guidelines and may, therefore, differ from national data published by the Member States. Statistics on extra-EU trade are calculated as the sum of trade of each of the 27 EU Member States with countries outside the EU. In other words, the EU is considered as a single trading entity and trade flows are measured into and out of the area, but not within it.

Dutch trade flows are over-estimated because of the so-called 'Rotterdam effect' (or quasi-transit trade): goods bound for other EU countries arrive in Dutch ports and, according to EU rules, are recorded as extra-EU imports by the Netherlands (the country where goods are released for free circulation). This in turn increases the intra-EU flows from the Netherlands to those Member States to which the goods are re-exported.

Data for the non-EU countries used in Figures 3 and 4 are taken from the UNCTAD database of the United Nations. For the calculation of shares, the world trade is defined as the sum of EU trade with non-EU countries (source: Eurostat) plus the international trade of non-EU countries (source: UNCTAD).

Methodology

According to the EU concepts and definitions, extra-EU trade statistics (trade between EU Member States and non-EU countries) do not record exchanges involving goods in transit, placed in a customs warehouse or given temporary admission (for trade fairs, temporary exhibitions, tests, etc.). This is known as 'special trade'. The partner is the country of final destination of the goods for exports and the country of origin for imports.

Product classification

Information on commodities exported and imported is presented according to the Standard international trade classification (SITC). A full description is available from Eurostat's classification server RAMON.

Unit of measure

Trade values are expressed in millions or billions (10⁹) of euros. They correspond to the statistical value, i.e. to the amount which would be invoiced in the event of sale or purchase at the national border of the reporting country. It is called a FOB value (free on board) for exports and a CIF value (cost, insurance, freight) for imports.

Context

Trade is an important indicator of Europe's prosperity and place in the world. The bloc is deeply integrated into global markets both for the products it sources and the exports it sells. The EU trade policy is one of the main pillars of the EU's relations with the rest of the world.

Because the 27 EU Member States share a single market and a single external border, they also have a single trade policy. EU Member States speak and negotiate collectively, both in the World Trade Organisation, where the rules of international trade are agreed and enforced, and with individual trading partners. This common policy enables them to speak with one voice in trade negotiations, maximising their impact in such negotiations. This is even more important in a globalised world in which economies tend to cluster together in regional groups.

The openness of the EU's trade regime has meant that the EU is the biggest player on the global trading scene and remains a good region to do business with. Thanks to the ease of modern transport and communications, it is now easier to produce, buy and sell goods around the world which gives European companies of every size the potential to trade outside Europe.