SOAPBOX
SOAPBOX provides insights on EU-China trade. The weekly newsletter, compiled by Rafael Jimenez Buendía and Ilaria Perla, is published in collaboration with the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS).
| Platform |  | Pricing | Only free issues | Publishes | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 186 | Founded | 4 years ago | Last Issue | 8 days ago |
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soapboxtrade.substack.comLatest Issues
Germany drives the fall in EU exports to China
EU exports to China fell 2% year-on-year in H1 2026. But that headline conceals a very uneven picture across the bloc. Exports increased in 15 member states and declined in 11.
Among the larger exporters, France rose 17%, Italy 19% and Ir...
The EU’s China trade imbalance reaches 3 to 1
The latest Eurostat data show just how asymmetric EU-China goods trade has become. In H1 2026, the EU imported €3 of goods from China for every €1 it exported there, the highest ratio in the 2021–2026 period shown.
The ratio stood at 1.9 t...
Summer reading: The White House may have the map right
The White House recently published a report with a title difficult to ignore: The Great Transshipment Scam.
Source: The White House, The Great Transshipment Scam, Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, August 2026.
Its central argument...
Germany and China switch places in auto trade
A quick note before today’s issue. SOAPBOX will take a summer break after this edition and return on 24 August with fresh, comprehensive coverage of what EU trade with China looked like in the first half of 2026.
The year of the...
EU-China trade rebalancing: The mirage meets reality
Two weeks ago, we argued that the new EU-China Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism risked becoming another mirage, an exercise in dialogue without measurable results. The first trade figures released since that meeting provide no si...
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Weekly dose of China trade insights – with a focus on EU-China trade. Produced in collaboration with Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS).
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