China remained the main supplier of goods to the European Union during the second quarter of 2026, with imports worth 153.6 billion euros, while the United States occupied the first position among the destinations for community exports, with 127.7 billion, according to the latest data published by Eurostat.
Overall, the European Union imported goods from non-EU countries worth 701.8 billion euros during the second quarter and exported goods worth 680 billion. Compared to the first three months of the year, imports grew by 9.9% and exports by 5.4%. Compared to the second quarter of 2025, the increases were 11.7% and 4.5%, respectively.
Seasonally adjusted data places China as the main source of non-EU goods purchases. The 153.6 billion euros imported from the Asian country represented 21.9% of the total during the period from April to June.
The United States was the second supplier to the European Union, with 98.7 billion euros and a share of 14.1%. The United Kingdom held the third position, with 43.4 billion and 6.2%, followed by Switzerland, with 36.9 billion and 5.3%, and Turkey, with 25.5 billion, equivalent to 3.6% of imports.
The comparison with the second quarter of 2025 shows increases in imports from four of these five trading partners. Purchases of goods from the United States grew by 11.5%, those from the United Kingdom by 8.8%, and those from China by 7.9%. In the case of Switzerland, the increase was 2.1%.
Turkey experienced a different trend, with a year-on-year decline of 0.6% in community imports.
In exports, the United States continued as the main non-EU market for goods from the European Union. Sales to the North American country totaled 127.7 billion euros in the second quarter, equivalent to 18.8% of all EU goods exports to non-community countries.
The United Kingdom was the second destination, with purchases of community products worth 92.7 billion euros, 13.6% of the total. Switzerland held the third position, with 60.5 billion and a share of 8.9%.
China, despite leading the supplier ranking, was the fourth destination for European Union goods exports. Community sales to the Chinese market reached 50.3 billion euros, corresponding to 7.4% of the total. Turkey completed the top five destinations, with 27.3 billion and a share of 4%.
The trend compared to the second quarter of 2025 was uneven among these markets. Exports to Switzerland grew by 16.1%, the largest increase among the five main destinations reported by Eurostat. Sales to the United Kingdom increased by 5.6% and those directed to China by 2.8%.
On the contrary, EU goods exports to the United States decreased by 5.6% compared to the same quarter of 2025, despite this country maintaining the top position as a market for community products. Sales to Turkey fell by 4.9%.
The data also reflects differences in the value of exchanges with the two main partners. In trade with China, the EU recorded 153.6 billion euros in imports compared to 50.3 billion in exports during the quarter. With the United States, imports reached 98.7 billion and exports stood at 127.7 billion.
