UK Paid £2.3 Billion to the EU to Settle China Import Fraud Case

The UK government paid £2.3 billion to the European Union to settle a long-standing fraud case relating to imports of Chinese textiles and footwear, saying the payment was necessary to fulfill its international obligations.

Britain made payments to the bloc of 1.2 billion euros (£1.1 billion) on Feb. 6 and 700 million euros on Jan. 13, in addition to 678 million euros paid out in June 2022, Chief Secretary to the Treasury John Glen said in a written statement to Parliament on Thursday.

“These are substantial sums but represent the final payments and draw a line under this long-running case,” ...