Germany Calls for Tougher European Trade Measures Against China, as AI Infrastructure Drives Demand for German Electrical Tech
France and Germany want the European Commission to act within days on trade aggression, bypassing unanimous approval from all 27 EU states.
- On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged European Commission President Ursula to create a "credible instrument" allowing the EU to block single market access against trade aggression "if needed."
- Beijing responded Tuesday by urging France and Germany to "refrain from encouraging the EU to resort to protectionist tools at every turn," warning they should avoid "going down the wrong path" and suffering consequences.
- Trade deficits with China hit about US$404 billion in 2025, while European Metals director James Watson cited "aggressive" overcapacity in aluminium and copper as a sticking point in talks.
- EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic heads to Beijing soon to address trade frictions, even as observers note that sharp rhetoric risks straining a relationship where Europe remains heavily reliant on China for key goods.
- Paris and Berlin proposed that the European Commission could respond to trade aggression within days without requiring approval from all 27 countries, though a weighted majority of states could theoretically block such action.
54 Articles
54 Articles
China's exports to the European Union have reached such a scale that European leaders are already worried about the impact on local industry. The EU imports around 560 billion euros worth of goods from China each year, and the trade deficit with the Asian giant is 365 billion euros. But Beijing's economic expansion in Europe is not limited to goods - Chinese companies are increasingly investing in existing industries here, taking over factories …
China has long been primarily a sales market for German industry. Meanwhile, it also sees the country as an aggressive competitor. Experts therefore make a recommendation.
A commission of the Bundestag considers the previous China strategy of Germany and Europe to have failed. Now the EU is to become "reversible" in trade disputes.
44 industry associations representing strategic sectors such as metals, chemicals, and automotive parts in Europe have called on European Union countries to take urgent action against China's unfair trade practices. The associations stated that current practices threaten European manufacturing and lead to job losses.
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