EU trade chief heads to Beijing for talks on curbing Chinese imports

Maros Sefcovic, the EU commissioner for trade and economic security, is traveling to Beijing for discussions with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao. These talks build on a consultation process started in June, intended to address trade and investment concerns. The goal is to negotiate a deal before the month ends that would protect several European industrial sectors from an influx of Chinese imports.

Results will be examined by the EU Council of heads of state in Brussels later in the month. In a joint letter, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron urged a firmer EU commercial policy, warning that it could provoke Chinese countermeasures such as restrictions on essential components for European factories.