All EU countries, except Germany, show trade deficit with China

Germany is the only EU member state, which shows a trade surplus with China in the first six months of 2012, despite the fact that the EU27 international trade in goods with China has grown significantly over the last decade.
EU27 exports to China rose continuously from 26 billion euro in 2000 to 136 bn in 2011. EU27 imports from China rose from 75 bn in 2000 to 248 bn in 2008, then declined to 214 bn in 2009, following the general downwards trend in EU27 imports, before reaching a new peak of 293 bn in 2011.

As a result, the EU27 trade deficit with China, which had increased from 49 bn in 2000 to a peak of 170 bn in 2008, fell to 156 bn in 2011.
The data for the first six months of 2012 show a continued growth in EU27 exports to China, while imports remained nearly stable. EU27 exports to China rose from 66 bn in the first six months of 2011 to 73 bn in the first six months of 2012, while imports stabilised at just over 140 bn.

As a result, the trade deficit decreased from 75 bn to 67 bn. In the first six months of 2012, China was the EU27’s second most important trading partner after the USA, accounting for 9% of EU27 exports and 16% of EU27 imports.
Germany is the only Member State with a trade surplus with China.

Among the EU27 Member States, Germany was by far the largest exporter to China in the first six months of 2012, followed by France and the United Kingdom. Germany was also the largest importer, followed by the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy and France.
All Member States, except Germany, registered deficits in trade with China in the first six months of 2012. The largest deficits were observed in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and France.

The above data are given by Eurostat on the occasion of the 15th European Union – China summit, which will take place on 20 September in Brussels.