The eurozone's trade deficit with China soared to €41.1bn ($48.1bn, £28.6bn) in the first 10 months of last year, reducing sharply the region's overall trade surplus.

The figures from Eurostat, the European Union's statistical office, highlighted the pace of change in European trade patterns. Chinese products are penetrating higher value-added markets, such as electronics, but the sharp rise in imports also reflected the impact of EU investment in China, economists said.