China driving worrying rise in EU imports, Commission official says
FXI•Nearly a quarter of EU imports are rising at a worrying rate, driven primarily by goods from China, the European Commission’s chief trade enforcement officer said. EU imports totaled €2.53 trillion in 2025, including €571 billion from China.
1. Imports from China rise
Denis Redonnet told the European Parliament that nearly a quarter of EU imports showed potentially worrying trends, with China the main driver of the increases. Sectors facing sustained and abnormal import growth included machinery, textiles, basic metals and chemicals.
2. Trade cases increase
The EU is discussing its €360 billion goods trade deficit with China and hopes to agree on some form of Chinese export management this month. The Commission opened 32 new trade defence cases in 2025, compared with 33 in 2024 and a previous annual average of 12; more than a third of the new investigations involved chemicals. Redonnet said 27 new cases had already been opened in 2026.
