EU strengthens steel trade shield by freezing redistribution of some Russian quotas
The move should offer EU producers a chance to regain market shares, the commission has said.
DG Trade
EU trade chief travels to US, China in last-ditch effort to avert trade war
Washington’s increasingly hawkish policy towards China and Beijing’s unwillingness to alter its export-led industrial model mean that Maroลก ล efฤoviฤ’s trips to the US and China this week could prove futile, analysts warn.
Peace through strength or war through weakness?
Despite the EU’s claims of “strength” at yesterday’s Council summit, its decision to delay retaliation against US tariffs exposes its fundamental weakness – and leaves it vulnerable to a two-front trade war with China.
Why the EU could hang Canada out to dry
Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminium could see billions of dollars’ worth of Canadian metals being redirected and dumped on Europe. Could this spark a second transatlantic trade war?
โNot useful or rationalโ: Top EU lawmaker slams Trumpโs โcrazyโ tariffs
Bernd Lange told Euractiv the EU remains “open for negotiations” with the US but that Washington’s ultimate goals are currently “totally unclear.”
US โnot seeking dealโ with EU on tariffs, says Commission trade chief
ล efฤoviฤ vowed to protect European businesses and citizens from Trump’s “unjustified” trade measures, but noted that Brussels’ “doors” remain “open for constructive engagement” with Washington.
EU pledges โimmediateโ response to Trumpโs reciprocal tariffs
The line from Brussels appears to have hardened since its response to Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs earlier this week.
EU-Mercosur: The global alliance of herbivores starts today
Despite Macron’s opposition, the EU rejects US and Chinese protectionism, opting to boost global trade instead.
EU to develop new โdoctrineโ to boost economic security
โIn today’s world we cannot afford a piecemeal approach; we need strong coordinated EU action,” said Sabine Weyand, director-general at the European Commissionโs Directorate-General for Trade.
Sรฉjournรฉ urges Europe to โmaster its destiny,โ vows to boost all sectors
โIt’s not about where a company comes from,โ the French centrist told MEPs. โIt’s about whether it contributes to European wealth.”
With Trump, there is no way around new EU debt, experts sayย
The option for new EU funds seems to stand a better chance in light of the second big development of the week: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz firing his Finance Minister Christian Lindner โ a staunch fiscal hawk.
Commissionโs trade nominee ล efฤoviฤ turns bold on China, US, WTO reforms
The wide-ranging confirmation hearing – the fifth of his career – was often tough, with the Slovak stalwart striking a more emphatic tone throughout.
ล efฤoviฤ to face MEP questions on China, US and Von der Leyen
The stakes are high amidย debate around Europe adopting a similar protectionist approach to China and the US to save its industries.
US and China tensions could herald new troubles for Europeโs economy, Volkswagenโs woes
โI think this will not stop with Volkswagen, [and] it will also not stop with Germany,โ said Carsten Brzeski, head of macro at ING Research.
China, EU clash on negotiating strategy as electric vehicle tariffs loom closer
โThe Chinese government wants to control the negotiations, and the Commission works differently,โ said Alicia Garcรญa-Herrero, an expert on China at EU policy think-tank Bruegel.
ล efฤoviฤ strikes cautious note on future EU-US trade relationship
โThe US remains our number one trading partner, and I intend to further develop our bilateral relationship through dialogue as well as through an assertive defence of our interests,โ said the seasoned Brussels insider.
Ribera shifts closer to Commission EV tariff stance ahead of hearing with MEPs
โWe need to ensure that the EU remains a place for battery electric vehicle (BEV) production and that we preserve the EUโs manufacturing capabilities,” Spain’s commissioner-designate says
Close EU-China ties key to averting new World War, says Beijingโs top EU diplomat
โAs long as China and Europe choose dialogue and cooperationโฆ a new Cold War will not emerge, and world peace will be safeguarded,โ Zhu Jing said.
Protectionism wonโt save Europe โ itโs partnerships that matter
ล efฤoviฤโs portfolio may signal a shift towards economic security, but the EU should not lose sight of the bigger picture. Focusing solely on protection and security without nurturing opportunities for market openness and partnerships could be a danger…
WTO revamp needed to tackle โroot causesโ of Chinaโs distortions, Commission official says
โIf you cannot address the root causes, you will have to address the problem where necessary at the border,” the official said.
Germanyโs Scholz last-minute orders on EV tariffs vote reflect new and old rifts in EU trade saga
What this morning’s vote means is that while the lack of a qualifying blocking majority allowed the European Commission to declare that it had โobtained the necessary supportโ from EU countries, the backdrop for supporting the tariffs is deeply blurred…
All eyes on Chinaโs Wang, EUโs Dombrovskis talks ahead of crunch tariffs vote
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao is set for a crunch meeting with Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis in Brussels this morning (19 September), in a last-ditch effort to prevent the EU from imposing definitive duties on China-made electric vehicles,
EU imports from Russia drop to record lows but signs of sanctions circumvention persist
EU imports from Russia slid to record lows in the second quarter this year, fresh data published on Wednesday (28 August) showed, but signs persist that Brussels’ sanctions on Moscow are being circumvented via trade with third countries.
Commission โvery confidentโ on China tariff case as experts warn it may have breached WTO rules
The European Commission defended the legality of its trade tariffs on China-made electric vehicles (EVs) on Thursday (22 August) as several legal experts said it might have flouted World Trade Organisation rules in its anti-dumping investigation.
Europeโs economy is falling behind: a new Commissioner can help it catch up
EU leaders are sounding the alarm on Europeโs industry and innovation falling behind the US and others. Europeโs economic muscles have atrophied while the United States and China are pushing the world into the next generation of innovation and industry…
EU trade chief quells business fears of heightened economic protectionism
The European Union’s growing emphasis on economic security will not unduly impact the bloc’s business community or undermine the fundamental openness of Europe’s economy, the EU’s top trade official said on Tuesday (2 July).
Is the growing EU-China trade dispute a staged act?
As widely anticipated, the week was dominated by trade tariffs headlines. Two of the European Commission’s top officials – trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis and vice president Margaritis Schinas – coordinated the EU executive’s announcement on Wednesday
EU rebuffs Chinese businessesโ allegation of misconduct during anti-subsidy probe
“This is a targeted, fact-based investigation, and we assessed all information provided by the interested parties in an objective manner,” the Commission’s trade spokesperson told Euractiv.
EU officials scramble to prove Trade and Technology Council will survive Trump
The European Commission played down fears that the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) could succumb to a Donald Trump presidency as pressure on high-level officials from both sides increased ahead of their meeting in Leuven, Belgium, on Thursday …
EU says plan to ensure critical raw materials supply is not aimed at China
A senior European Union official denied that the blocโs recently agreed-upon plan to diversify its supply of strategically critical raw materials targets China, a move interpreted as aimed at easing increasingly fraught relations between Beijing and Br…
Brussels power couples 2024
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, here are some of the most influential couples in Brussels.
EU industry demands answers as โfraudulentโ Chinese biofuels continue to flow
European biofuel companies have reiterated calls for the European Commission to intervene to dampen the flood of Chinese biofuels entering the EU market, arguing that Chinese manufacturers are fraudulently exporting biodiesel made from restricted feeds…