The European Union saw its trade deficit with China drop in the first six months of this year due to continued growth in exports, a Eurostat report said Tuesday.

EU exports to China rose from 66 billion euros (US$86.2 billion) in the first half of 2011 to 73 billion euros in the same period of this year, while imports stabilized at about 140 billion euros. As a result, the trade deficit fell from 75 billion euros to 67 billion euros.

This follows a continued drop in the EU trade deficit with China. The deficit reached its peak of 170 billion euros in 2008, then fell to 156 billion euros in 2011.