Brussels, 20/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht will be kicking off the trade days in the European pavilion at the World Expo Shanghai 2010, on Thursday 22 July. Alongside China's deputy minister for trade, Gao Hucheng, he will address European business leaders with a foothold in China, and academics. He will place emphasis on the possibilities provided by trade relations with China and on the bilateral differences to be resolved. De Gucht and Gao will also attend a tasting session of products protected by geographical indications, thus giving a brief look at the diversity of European regional specialties. The EU and China have agreed to promote the development of trade in traditional quality products protected by geographical indication, and have launched talks to this end on the protection of geographical indications.
With nearly 11% of global trade in goods, China is the leading world exporter and may, in 2010, become the second largest world economy in terms of GDP. In 2009, bilateral trade in goods between the EU and China reached €296 billion, and that in services €31 billion. The EU has imported goods worth €215 billion from China, the leading supplier. With €82 billion worth of goods exported in 2009 to the Asian giant, China is the EU's largest, and most expanding, export market. (E.H./transl.jl)