Overview
- France and Germany agreed at the Franco‑German Ministerial Council on July 17 to draw up a joint roadmap by September that will coordinate EU action on China’s trade practices.
- The leaders asked the European Commission to quickly present concrete proposals to strengthen trade‑defence tools, industrial policy and economic security so enforcement can be faster and more systematic.
- Since June the European Commission has launched multiple new anti‑dumping probes into Chinese imports as member states press for urgent use of existing measures while a tariff‑style remedy would take years to design.
- Beijing has already used new legal tools to block an EU anti‑subsidy investigation in May, creating a real risk that China will use regulatory countermeasures to delay or retaliate against European steps.
- The bloc faces a large trade imbalance with China—reported at about €360 billion a year—which threatens jobs and firms in autos, batteries, chemicals and machinery and makes swift policy action politically urgent.