Nearly a quarter of all goods entering the European Union are growing at what Brussels calls a worrying pace, and China is the main source of that surge. The European Commission's chief trade enforcement officer told EU lawmakers that machinery, textiles, basic metals and chemicals are experiencing sustained and abnormal import growth, as the bloc's goods trade deficit with China widens and Brussels pushes for an agreement on Chinese export management this month.
Almost a quarter of imports into the European Union are increasing at a rate described as worrying, and goods from China are the primary driver, the European Commission's chief trade enforcement officer, Denis Redonnet, told the European Parliament on Thursday. Sectors experiencing sustained and abnormal import growth include machinery, textiles, basic metals and chemicals.
Redonnet addressed the parliament's trade committee as the Commission increases discussions with Beijing over the EU's goods trade deficit with China of €360 billion ($407 billion) in 2025. Chinese imports into the bloc have been rising while EU exports to China have fallen by a similar rate. Brussels aims to agree on some form of Chinese export management this month.
According to Investing.com: "China and Chinese origin is the main driver of these import increases", Redonnet said. EU imports totaled €2.53 trillion ($2.86 trillion) in 2025, with €571 billion coming from China.
Trade defence cases surge
The increased exports have driven a sharp rise in industry requests for trade defence measures. The EU executive Commission launched 32 new cases in 2025, just below the 2024 record of 33 and compared with a previous historical annual average of 12.
More than one third of the new investigations involved the chemicals sector. Redonnet said 27 new cases had already been opened in 2026.
Source: Economy News
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