Germany and France urge EU to adopt trade powers against China

France: France is a founding EU member state led by President Emmanuel Macron, with a longstanding emphasis on safeguarding European industrial interests. It has actively promoted stronger collective defenses against unfair trade practices. Here, it partners with Germany to push the EU for expanded authority to bar market access if nations like China disrupt trade relations. Germany: Germany is the European Union's largest economy, currently led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU. In recent months, Berlin has adopted a firmer approach toward external trade pressures, particularly from China. In this news, it co-authored a letter with France to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling for new rapid-response powers to restrict single-market access during trade destabilization. European Union: The European Union is a 27-member political and economic bloc that operates a single market and unified trade policy under the European Commission. It has been developing tools to address economic coercion and imbalances in global trade. The joint German-French proposal seeks to enhance its ability to quickly limit access for countries destabilizing relations, complementing existing instruments ahead of key talks. Existing Tools: The proposal builds on the EU's Anti-Coercion Instrument while highlighting the need for faster, leaner mechanisms beyond the current trade defense toolbox. Trade Policy Push: Germany and France sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposing new legal instruments for rapid market-access restrictions in response to trade threats. EU-China Negotiations: EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is preparing for high-level talks in Beijing as part of efforts to rebalance trade relations, with an October deadline for concrete outcomes before further measures are considered.