EU Trade Chief Visits Beijing to Avert Trade War
Maros Sefcovic will meet Chinese officials in Beijing on October 8 to address a 360 billion euro trade deficit and high-tech competition.
EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic will travel to Beijing on October 8, 2026, for two days of meetings with Chinese officials to prevent a trade war. The European Union aims to reduce a trade deficit that reached approximately 360 billion euros in 2025 and address unfair competition in high-tech manufacturing, a phenomenon described as China Shock 2.0.
EU objectives include curbing export surges in critical sectors such as cars, increasing European exports to China, and establishing an export licensing system for rare earths. EU trade enforcement chief Denis Redonnet has identified potentially worrying trends across nearly a quarter of all imports into the EU, specifically in chemicals, basic metals, textiles, and machinery.
To protect its industries, the European Commission is exploring new trade defense tools, including a potential equivalent to the U.S. Section 301. The Government of China has warned it will respond resolutely to discriminatory measures, having previously retaliated against EU trade actions with duties on cognac and anti-dumping probes into pork and dairy. While Sefcovic expects tangible results by October, some experts anticipate only minor agreements rather than a comprehensive settlement.
