BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / MENA Newswire / – Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao will visit Brussels on Monday, June 29, for talks with European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commission said. The meeting places China EU trade relations back at the center of the bloc’s economic agenda. It follows recent EU leader discussions on trade imbalances, market access and tools for defending European commercial interests.
EU and China officials meet as trade imbalance figures draw attention.
The European Commission manages trade policy for the 27 member states. EU leaders last week asked the body to show results from talks with major trading partners, including China. They also called for trade instruments that protect the bloc’s interests. The Brussels meeting will bring together senior officials from two of the world’s largest trading powers.
Trade data gives the talks added weight. Eurostat said the EU exported €199.6 billion in goods to China in 2025. It imported €559.4 billion from China in the same year. That left a goods trade deficit of €359.8 billion. EU exports to China fell 6.5% from 2024, while imports from China rose 6.4%.
Trade gap frames talks
China’s goods surplus with the EU has continued to expand in 2026. Data for the first four months showed a further increase as Chinese firms sold more into the EU market and bought less from it. The figures cover goods trade only. Services, investment flows and company earnings are separate parts of the wider economic relationship.
The main goods traded between the two sides show the scale of industrial links. EU exports to China in 2025 included machinery, electrical equipment, vehicles, medical instruments and pharmaceuticals. EU imports from China centered on electrical machinery, mechanical appliances, organic chemicals, vehicles, furniture and lighting products. These categories cover consumer goods, factory inputs and products used across European supply chains.
Supply chains remain in focus
Šefčovič and Wang also met in Beijing in March for trade and economic security talks. Those discussions covered market access, trade flows and investment conditions. China’s Ministry of Commerce described the exchange at that time as frank and practical. The new Brussels meeting keeps senior trade contact open as both sides handle disputes across several sectors.
The European Commission has said it plans legislation that would require EU companies to diversify sources for key supplies. The bloc already uses trade defense measures, including anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties, in cases that meet EU rules. Critical minerals remain another issue for European industry. China introduced export restrictions on rare earths in April 2025, affecting companies that depend on those materials.