EV Exports Drive Chinese Trade Surplus with the EU
China's trade surplus with the European Union reached a new quarterly record in early 2026, with electric and hybrid vehicle exports a central driver. Mercator Institute for China Studies’ analysis of customs data found that Chinese exports to the EU totaled close to $148 billion in the period. Imports from the bloc came in at approximately $65 billion, leaving a surplus of roughly $83 billion, with the full-year 2025 surplus setting a record at around $431 billion. Chinese EV and hybrid sales to Europe nearly doubled in the period, from approximately $11 billion to just over $20 billion. That represented…
