China Warns France and Germany Against Expanding Trade Protectionism
- The European Union faces a widening trade deficit with China that reached 359.8 billion euros in 2025, prompting France and Germany to push for accelerated trade defense tools.
- French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sent a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanding a reliable and swift instrument to...
- The Franco-German proposal aims to establish what فايننشال تايمز described as a second-strike weapon, enabling the bloc to restrict access to the European single market when necessary.
The European Union faces a widening trade deficit with China that reached 359.8 billion euros in 2025, prompting France and Germany to push for accelerated trade defense tools. Beijing warned Paris and Berlin against expanding trade protectionism on October 6, 2026, as European leaders prepare for a Brussels summit on October 15 and 16, 2026, to address market imbalances and critical supply chain dependencies.
France And Germany Push For Rapid Trade Defense Mechanisms Ahead Of Brussels Summit
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sent a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanding a reliable and swift instrument to counter market-distorting practices.
The Franco-German proposal aims to establish what فايننشال تايمز
described as a second-strike weapon, enabling the bloc to restrict access to the European single market when necessary. موقع 24 noted that the initiative builds on existing trade instruments while significantly widening executive powers to protect core industrial sectors from unfair competition and mounting trade imbalances.
Beijing Warns Against Protectionism And Trade Barriers
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued a formal statement urging Paris and Berlin to uphold free trade, maintain openness, and respect World Trade Organization rules rather than encouraging protectionist measures. aljazeera.net reported that Beijing cautioned against economic decoupling and supply chain disruption, emphasizing that protectionism fails to enhance industrial competitiveness.
The official response followed strict criticisms from state-backed media, with تشاينا ديلي
criticizing Brussels’ demands for voluntary export restrictions as a misleading concept enforced under the threat of punitive tariffs, according to the sources. Meanwhile, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce emphasized that bilateral economic relations rest on mutual benefit and urged dialogue to preserve global supply chain stability.
EU Trade Deficit with China Grows Toward 2026
Official statistics highlight mounting economic pressure across European industrial hubs. موقع 24 cited Eurostat figures showing that the European Union imported 559.4 billion euros worth of goods from China in 2025 against 199.6 billion euros in exports, yielding a deficit of nearly 359.8 billion euros. The sources indicate that the deficit reached 360 billion euros in 2025, up from 306 billion euros in 2024, with expectations of reaching 400 billion euros in 2026 and a 103 billion euro gap in the second quarter alone.
Trade tensions have triggered direct regulatory friction across multiple sectors. The sources note that European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič headed to Beijing to address soaring imbalances, electric vehicle tariffs, and rare earth supply guarantees.
China Investigates European Para-Nitrotoluene Imports
In parallel, the European Union maintains an anti-coercion instrument introduced in December 2023 to penalize economic intimidation, while separate trade investigations continue. aljazeera.net noted that China initiated an anti-dumping investigation into European para-nitrotoluene imports on October 3, 2025, following a surge in import volumes and a 60% drop in prices that local producers argued damaged domestic manufacturing.