Imports

Rising volume of components imported from China prompts warning of cannibalisation of European industriesEurope is facing a fresh China shock that threatens to cannibalise local factories, leading to job losses and de facto colonisation of industry by Beijing, trade analysts and representatives have said.They fear the plunging exchange rate and support for Chinese “zombie firms” has echoes of the crisis in the US 25 years ago when the term “China shock” was coined. It referred to the impact of China bursting on to the global trade stage after becoming a member of the World Trade Organization, with soaring imports displacing local industries and causing the loss of up to 2.5m jobs. Continue reading...

• China imported about 1.1 million barrels per day of Russian crude in January, with Moscow's share of total oil imports declining to 21%. • This reduction aligns with broader trends where China has quietly slashed overall oil imports by roughly a quarter from pre-war levels to around 8.2 million barrels per day, according to Vortexa data. • The cuts have rebalanced the global oil market by freeing up supply, keeping benchmarks near US$100 per barrel despite over 60 days of Persian Gulf conflict.

China sold goods worth about $148bn to EU in first quarter of year, but imported just $65bnThe EU is experiencing a prolonged “China shock” as a flood of Chinese EVs into Europe helped push Beijing to a record surplus with the bloc.New data showed China’s trade surplus – where its exports to the EU exceeded imports from the bloc – was $83bn (£61bn) in the first three months of 2026. Continue reading...