European industry groups urge EU to act urgently on China trade

China: China is a major global manufacturing and trading power whose exports and industrial policies are central to the EU’s current trade dispute. The news concerns European industry groups’ allegations that Chinese trade practices are placing pressure on EU manufacturing and contributing to job risks, prompting calls for stronger European countermeasures. European industry groups: European industry groups are sectoral associations representing manufacturers and other businesses across the European Union, including metals, chemicals, automotive parts, clean technology and fertilisers. In this news, 44 such associations are urging EU governments to respond more forcefully to what they describe as unfair Chinese trade practices, strengthen trade-defence procedures and address state-driven market distortions. EU trade policy: EU leaders are preparing to discuss the bloc’s growing trade imbalance with China and possible measures to protect European industry. Trade-defence tools: European policymakers are considering faster investigations, broader sector-wide measures and diversification instruments in response to state-supported distortions and critical supply-chain vulnerabilities. Supply-chain resilience: The European Commission has begun consulting businesses on measures to reduce risky dependence on single supplier countries, including China.