Forty-four European industry associations have urged EU governments to act against what they describe as unfair Chinese trade practices, citing risks to manufacturers and jobs.
The groups represent sectors including metals, chemicals and automotive parts. Their appeal comes ahead of a Brussels summit where EU leaders are expected to discuss the bloc’s widening trade gap with China, which Reuters reported at more than 1 billion euros a day.
The associations want the European Commission to make fuller use of trade-defense tools and assess entire value chains when investigating complaints. They say a broader approach should avoid unintended harm to close partners such as Britain, Norway and Switzerland. They also called for more Commission staff to process cases faster and new tools to address distortions they attribute to state involvement.
The summit agenda also includes Franco-German proposals to expand trade defenses. Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčović’s two-day visit to Beijing was due to end Friday. Reuters reported that he was seeking a China agreement to curb exports to the EU in one sector, most likely hybrid vehicles.