Ímport • Import • News

The majority of global imports of goods are split between the USA, EU and China. For the EU, China is in first place, followed by the USA, in terms of imports. Even China recorded an increase in imports compared to the previous year, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Trade with the U.S. has also increased despite sanctions. Nevertheless, Germany is by far China’s largest trading partner. While China benefits from open markets in the EU and Germany, European companies are subject to restrictions and discrimination in China. Therefore, the EU and China have agreed on the EU-China Investment Agreement (CAI) to promote more reciprocity.

From trade booms to import bans on goods from Xinjiang to dangerously expensive raw materials for import growth in China – read Import News from Table.Editor!

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

Germany wants to become less dependent on China. In truth, however, German consumers and companies are moving in the opposite direction: Germany is buying more and more goods from China. Disentanglement seems illusory for the moment. continue reading →

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (Mofcom) released the import license list for 2023. The list specifies which product groups require an import license from the People’s Republic. According to the German foreign trade agency Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), only “minimal changes” have been made to the list this time. The lists are updated every […] continue reading →

Despite an emerging economic crisis, German exports to countries outside the EU rose significantly in August. The Federal Statistical Office reported on Wednesday, that exports, adjusted for calendar and seasonal effects, grew by 4.0 percent compared to the previous month to €60.3 billion in total. In July, there had still been a decline after previously […] continue reading →

Twenty years ago, Rolf Langhammer embarked on a journey. It brought him to China in the early 20th century, a fragmented country ruled by warlords between tradition and cultural renewal. And eventually even to modern Shanghai. He was able to orient himself by using the many traces his grandfather had left behind during his years […] continue reading →

Despite the debate about Germany’s economic dependence on China (China.Table reported), the trend actually intensified in the first half of the year. “German direct investment flows to China have never been so high,” according to a study by the Institute of the German Economy (IW), which was obtained by Reuters. Imports from the People’s Republic […] continue reading →

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warns Germany against being too dependent on China. Diversification in imports of raw materials is crucial, Scholz said Thursday at the chancellor’s summer press conference. German companies also understood this, he said. He also stated that Germany will thus have to ensure that lithium, for example, is sourced from different parts […] continue reading →

On Wednesday, the National Health Commission surprised with an already known fact: The Coronavirus does not survive long on food packaging. As a result, imported frozen goods will no longer have to be tested in the future. “Recent research shows that the new Coronavirus survives only a short time on most surfaces under normal temperature […] continue reading →

The EU Commission plans to present its long-awaited proposal for an import ban on products from forced labor in the fall. A representative of the EU Directorate-General for Trade told the European Parliament’s Trade Committee on Monday that a proposal for a separate law was expected to be presented in September. The EU Commission is […] continue reading →

Despite material bottlenecks and disrupted supply chains, German exporters recovered significantly from the 2020 Covid shock last year – and increased their exports to the People’s Republic. Exports to China increased by 8.1 percent to €103.6 billion, the Federal Statistical Office reported Wednesday. However, Germany’s largest export destination remained the United States, at €122.1 billion, […] continue reading →

Tensions between Beijing and Taipei are high. However, local German companies do not see a military escalation brewing. The economy of the island republic is expected to continue to boom in 2022. continue reading →

In the trade dispute with China, Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda has openly criticized his own government for opening a “Taiwan office” in Vilnius. Opening the Taiwanese trade representation under that name was a mistake, Nausėda said in an interview with radio station Žinių Radijas on Tuesday. While both Lithuania and Taiwan could open representative offices […] continue reading →

China is trying to alleviate the country’s energy crisis by importing more coal from Russia, Mongolia, and Indonesia. In Heilongjiang, on the border to Russia, rail infrastructure has been improved to allow increased coal transport. A Russian diplomat in Harbin said, according to media reports, that coal exports to Heilongjiang province had fallen by 40 […] continue reading →

China’s exports are growing ever faster. In September, the People’s Republic’s exports increased by 28.1 percent year on year. Imports climbed by 17.6 percent. Exports had already grown by an unexpectedly strong 26.5 percent back in August. The strong export figures came as a surprise to experts, who had expected a lesser increase due to […] continue reading →

A study by the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) warns of the consequences of a potential trade conflict between the European Union and China. Compared to the explosive scenarios, the current irregularities are still comparatively harmless. “What would be really dangerous would be a stop of exports for political reasons in the context […] continue reading →

The German industry is taking increasingly heavy blows from Chinese competition. Since 2000, the EU has been importing more and more goods from China. German products, on the other hand, are selling somewhat less well in comparison, as the economic research institute, IW Cologne has shown in a study. In EU countries, the share of […] continue reading →

Ketchup by the popular brand Heinz labeled “Made in China” had been banned from import to the US at the beginning of the year. Many T-shirts made with cotton from Xinjiang are also blacklisted. Soon all products from Xinjiang are likely to be affected. On Wednesday, the US Senate passed a bill banning the import […] continue reading →

Dues to new rules for cross-border online trade between the EU and third countries, prices for parcel shipments to the EU may rise. As of July 1, shipments of goods from outside the EU are no longer exempt from import VAT. Previously they were exempt as long as the value of the goods did not […] continue reading →

China’s foreign trade increased strongly in May. As the Beijing customs authority announced on Monday, exports rose by 27.9 percent compared to May of the previous year to $263.9 billion (about €216.9 billion). Imports even increased by 51.1 percent – as strongly as they last did ten years ago. They now amount to $218.4 billion. […] continue reading →