Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - Trade and economic cooperation between the European Union and China remains stable and strong in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first half of this year, China retained its status as the EU’s largest trading partner, according to the European Bureau of Statistics, Xinhua News Agency reports.

Data show that in the first half of the year, the volume of exports of goods from the EU amounted to 1.0489 trillion euros, an increase of 13.8% in annual terms; imports amounted to 964.5 billion euros and increased by 13.9%. The EU exported goods to China for 112.6 billion euros, which is 20.2 percent more compared to the same period last year, and imported goods from China for 210.1 billion euros, which is 15.5 percent more in annual terms.

According to Eurostat, in June, the volume of exports of EU goods amounted to 188.3 billion euros, an increase of 22.3 percent in annual terms; the volume of imports amounted to 173.5 billion euros and increased by 29.6%. During the same period, the volume of exports of goods from the euro area increased by 23.8% in annual terms and amounted to 209.9 billion euros; imports amounted to 191.8 billion euros, an increase of 28.2 percent.

In 2020, despite the pandemic, trade between the EU and China grew despite prevailing trends. At the same time, China replaced the United States for the first time as the largest trading partner of the European Union.