The European People’s Party (EPP) Group, the largest political group in the European Parliament, has issued a call for the European Union to respond more decisively to unfair trade practices by China.
In a newly adopted position paper, the group highlights the EU’s roughly €360 billion trade deficit with China—equivalent to nearly €1 billion a day—and argues that this imbalance requires concrete steps to protect European businesses and reduce strategic dependencies.
The paper proposes several practical measures. These include substantially shortening the length of trade investigations, which can currently last up to 18 months, and reinforcing customs controls to stop companies from circumventing existing rules. It also calls for closer scrutiny of sectors that are vital to Europe’s economic security, particularly advanced technologies and critical infrastructure, as well as better coordination among Member States on export controls and foreign investment screening.
In addition, the EPP Group stresses the importance of improving European companies’ access to the Chinese market and of strengthening the EU’s existing trade defence tools. It urges the Union to diversify its trading partners and suppliers by advancing the ratification of free-trade agreements, concluding ongoing negotiations, and cooperating strategically with reliable partners to reduce dependence on critical raw materials.
The paper further addresses the circumvention of EU trade defence measures through practices such as transhipment, rerouting, and weak product traceability. It advocates a coordinated response to economic coercion, with Member States supporting one another and acting together when necessary.
“A trade deficit of almost €1 billion a day should be a wake-up call,” said MEP Juan Ignacio Zoido, author of the position paper. “The EPP Group’s position is not one of trade confrontation but of results-oriented dialogue. However, were diplomatic efforts to fail, the European Union as a whole should be ready to respond to unfair trade practices targeting the EU market effectively.”
MEP Jörgen Warborn, the EPP Group’s spokesman on international trade, added: “China remains an important trading partner, but the EU must be prepared to act when unfair practices put European businesses at a disadvantage. Europe cannot afford to depend too heavily on a single supplier for strategic technologies and critical materials. We need to diversify our supply chains and open new markets for European exporters.”
The position paper reflects the EPP Group’s preference for dialogue that delivers results, while underlining that the EU should be prepared to use its trade instruments if talks do not produce fair outcomes.
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