Follows here some data I collected on the EU in China, trade figures for 2006 (and compared to 2005) and the importance of the EU
Sources: Bloomberg – Xinhua – China Daily – EUCCC
China’s data (Ministry of Commerce)
– EU: top trading partner for China, accounting for 15.5% of total foreign trade
– Total Trade: US$ 272.3 billion, up 25.3%
– China’s trade surplus: US$ 91.7 billion, up 31% (from US$ 70.1 billion)
– Exports US$ 181.98 billion, up 27% – imports US$ 90.32 billion, up 23%
– China approved 2,738 EU-funded projects in 2006, involving a contracted EU investment of US$ 10.58 billion. A total of US$ 5.39 billion of EU funds were used last year.
– As of the end of last year, China had approved an accumulated 25,418 EU-funded projects, involving a contracted EU investment of US$ 97.95 billion. China had used US$ 53.18 billion of EU funds by the end of last year, or 8% of total foreign funds used in China.
– EU has been the largest technologies provider for China and it was the top source of technology import for China in 2006. China imported 2,597 items of technologies from EU last year, with contractual funds totaling US$ 8.66 billion or 39.3% of China’s total. The contractual funds volume was higher than that with Japan, totaling US$ 5.24 billion, and that with the United States, which was US$ 4.23 billion. China had imported an accumulated 24.108 items of technologies from EU by the end of last year, with contractual funds of US$ 98.66 billion.
According to EU figures, EU’s imports from China: 135.6 billion euros, 4.6 billion euros more than its imports from the United States. China has replaced the United States to become EU’s largest import market.
The EU has presently 27 member countries with a population of about 500 million.
The European Chamber (EUCCC): far over 1,100 members and 29 Working Groups
website: www.europeanchamber.com.cn