Germany backs new EU measures against China's trade practices

Merz: Friedrich Merz is the Chancellor of Germany and leader of the Christian Democratic Union. He has recently advocated for stronger EU trade defense tools to counter perceived unfair competition. In this news, Merz announced Germany’s support for new measures targeting China’s trade practices during a foreign trade event in Berlin ahead of an EU summit. Germany: Germany is a leading European economy and EU member state with significant influence on bloc-wide trade policy. As the largest economy in the European Union, it plays a central role in shaping responses to external trade challenges. In this news, Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Germany will back tough new EU measures against China’s unfair trade practices at an upcoming leaders' meeting. EU Coordination: EU leaders are scheduled to discuss expanding the bloc’s trade toolkit at an upcoming European Council meeting to enforce fair competition rules. Trade Policy Shift: German Chancellor Merz has signaled greater openness to European Commission proposals for addressing industrial overcapacity and subsidized exports from China.