Javi López, Vice-President of the European Parliament (S&D), said the European Union's trade imbalance with China is an unsustainable reality.

The deficit represents a significant economic strain on the bloc, potentially influencing future trade policies and diplomatic strategies between Europe and Asia.

López said these statements Friday following a delegation visit to China. He said the trade gap is unsustainable both politically and economically [1]. According to the European Parliament official, the EU runs a trade deficit with China amounting to €1 billion per day [1].

López said this trade gap cannot continue [2]. He said the current state of commerce between the two powers is an unsustainable reality that requires immediate attention to protect European interests [1].

To address these imbalances, López said the EU needs to relaunch its relationship with Beijing [2]. The call for a diplomatic reset comes as the bloc seeks to balance its economic reliance on Chinese markets with the need for fair competition, and industrial stability.

Throughout the delegation's visit, the focus remained on how to restructure these ties. López said the current trajectory of the trade deficit is not viable for the long term [1].

“The EU's trade imbalance with China is an "unsustainable reality, politically and economically."”

The assertion of a €1 billion daily deficit highlights growing friction within the EU regarding its economic dependency on China. By framing the imbalance as politically and economically unsustainable, the European Parliament is signaling a shift toward more assertive trade protections or a fundamental renegotiation of trade terms to reduce the bloc's vulnerability to external market shocks.