The Environmental Goods Trade between China and the EU: Development and Influencing Factors
China and Europe’s Partnership for a More Sustainable World
ISBN: 978-1-78635-332-0, eISBN: 978-1-78635-331-3
Publication date: 22 December 2016
Abstract
Purpose
This chapter seeks to analyze trade in environmental goods between China and the EU and highlight prominent problems and future opportunities.
Methodology/approach
We explore trade empirically, based on the definition of environmental goods proposed by OECD and database from UN COMTRADE (HS96).
Findings
We find that value of trade in environmental goods between China and the EU has increased from $2.759 billion in 1996 to $42.446 billion in 2012, with an average annual growth rate of 21%. Trade is concentrated in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, France, and Belgium (together accounting for 82%). China has a trade deficit in most categories of environmental goods. Overall, although trade in environmental goods between China and the EU has increased rapidly, the trade structure is unbalanced and the competitiveness of China’s environmental goods trade is still low.
Practical implications
This chapter provides a robust basis for analysis of trade in environmental goods between China and the EU.
Originality/value
Discussions on environmental goods trade are complicated by a lack of clear definition and lack of consistent data. This chapter provides a clear and consistent data set in order to have a robust basis for analysis of this important phenomenon.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgments
This chapter was funded by People Program (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program FP7/2007-2013/ under REA grant agreement n° 318908.
Citation
Qu, R. and Zeng, Y. (2016), "The Environmental Goods Trade between China and the EU: Development and Influencing Factors", Spigarelli, F., Curran, L. and Arteconi, A. (Ed.) China and Europe’s Partnership for a More Sustainable World, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 25-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78635-332-020161002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016 Emerald Group Publishing Limited