The EU is ready for tough trade measures against China

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the European Union is ready to use all available tools to protect the economy if China does not offer fair access to its markets. This is reported by Bloomberg epravda.com.ua.

Head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen

Heavily subsidized Chinese goods such as electric cars and steel have flooded the European market and the world cannot absorb China's excess production, she said.

Von der Leyen's statement after talks in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is on an official visit to France. Xi Jinping's visit to France is the first in five years, after which he will go to Serbia and Hungary.

“For trade to be fair, access to each other's markets must also be reciprocal. We discussed how to make real progress on market access. I remain confident that more progress can be made," she emphasized.

The EU is said to be getting tougher in its trade relationship with China, sharing US concerns about overcapacity in state-funded "green" industry.

"The rhetorical shift has already been implemented in practice, when in autumn 2023 the EU launched an investigation into subsidies for Chinese electric cars, the results of which may lead to new tariffs by July. The EU is also looking closely at other sectors such as wind energy, solar energy and railways," the statement said.

Von der Leyen urged the Chinese government to address the problem of "structural overcapacity" as Beijing continues to massively prop up its manufacturing sector while domestic demand does not grow.

In addition, the European Commission chief said she and Macron urged Xi to use his influence with Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, adding that China's stance on the conflict was affecting relations between Beijing and the EU.

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