The European Union is importing roughly €1 billion worth of Chinese goods every single day. That kind of spending habit tends to get attention, and it finally has.
EU and Chinese trade officials are meeting in Brussels as the European Commission considers a significantly firmer stance against Beijing. The backdrop: a goods trade deficit with China that ballooned to €360.6 billion in 2025, representing a 15% jump from the prior year.
What’s actually on the table
EU leaders convened in Brussels on June 18-19 to hash out trade imbalances and discuss bolstering the bloc’s trade defense toolkit. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič have both called for immediate action, with a particular focus on sectors hammered by what the EU views as Chinese overcapacity, including electric vehicles and critical raw materials.
Šefčovič is scheduled to meet Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in late June to explore potential anti-dumping measures and safeguards. The conversations are reportedly centered on the surge of Chinese imports into Europe, which have climbed 45% over the past five years, a rise felt across all 27 member states.
