China’s imports from the European Union fell in May, marking the first decline in three months and adding pressure to an already widening trade imbalance between Beijing and Brussels. The move, reported by Bloomberg, comes against a backdrop of uneven trade flows and rising political tension over the direction of China–EU economic relations.
Preliminary data from China’s General Administration of Customs show imports from the EU slipped 1.3% in May after two consecutive months of growth.
That contrasts with China’s broader pattern of stronger foreign demand earlier in the month, highlighting a divergence in trade performance with Europe compared with other partners.
At the same time, Chinese exports to the EU continued to grow but at a slower pace, rising 7.6% year on year — the weakest increase since last October. Even with the slowdown, China’s trade surplus with the EU edged higher from April. Furthermore, it remained above US$30 billion, keeping the imbalance firmly in focus for policymakers.
The breakdown by member states shows a mixed picture. Imports from Germany fell 6.2% year on year, reversing gains seen over the previous two months. Purchases from France increased 24%, broadly steady compared with April, while imports from the Netherlands returned to growth with an 8.8% rise. More granular data is expected later this month.
The sustained surplus is feeding into broader political discussions in Europe, where officials are weighing possible restrictive measures aimed at rebalancing trade ties. Beijing, meanwhile, has signalled it would respond if the EU moves ahead with new curbs, raising the risk of further escalation.
Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to convene a video call involving G7 leaders and China to address global trade imbalances, according to Politico.
