The European Union’s trade deficit with China has surged to a record €1 billion (about £0.8 billion) per day, according to official trade figures, raising fresh concerns about the resilience of Europe’s industrial base.

Data from Eurostat shows the gap between EU imports from China and exports to China reached €31.9 billion in April alone.

The figures come as European leaders prepare to meet on Thursday to discuss how to tackle the widening imbalance, driven in part by the growing influx of Chinese electric vehicles, backed by substantial state subsidies, into European markets, as well as the widespread reliance on Chinese-made components across EU industries.

Trade expert Rafael Jiménez Buendía, a senior fellow at the Mercator Institute for China Studies, warned that preliminary data for May and June is expected to show the deficit continuing to expand.

“Shipments already recorded by China customs but still at sea and not yet captured by EU customs data suggest that the roughly €1bn-per-day trade deficit is likely to persist in the EU’s May and June figures, to be released in July and August,” he said.

The president of Eurometal, Alexander Julius, has urged EU leaders to “wake up” to what he says are growing risks from China to manufacturing across Europe, warning of pressure on factories faced by surging imports.

“We are really suffering so much, and the politicians are going in completely the wrong direction, and they don’t realise how much the Chinese are destroying the industrial backbone of Europe,” he said.

“If you end up relying on China, China can dictate what parts will be made available to us that we are not producing any more, they will dictate the quantity and the price,” he said.

China’s expanding trade surplus with the EU has prompted warnings of a potential “China Shock 2.0,” echoing the experience of the United States after China joined the World Trade Organization more than two decades ago, a shift that contributed to widespread industrial decline and the emergence of the so-called “rust belt.”

EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said at a conference in Brussels earlier this month that the growing trade deficit must be addressed.

Meanwhile, the European Commission is reportedly weighing several policy responses, though tariffs are considered the least likely option due to the significant political challenges involved in securing consensus among member states.