Trade
Europe’s economy is falling behind: a new Commissioner can help it catch up
Est. 5minEU leaders are sounding the alarm on Europe’s industry and innovation falling behind the US and others. Europe’s economic muscles have atrophied while the United States and China are pushing the world into the next generation of innovation and industry. Deep changes are required.
Von der Leyen warned: Don’t slap the bill for climate and industry on consumers
Est. 9minThe influential Brussels think-tank, Bruegel, has sent a ‘memo’ to Commission President-designate, Ursula von der Leyen, warning her of over-burdening consumers during her likely second term.
One day before application, German car lobby urges EU to drop tariffs against China
Est. 4minOne day before the preliminary application of tariffs on electric cars from China, due on Thursday (4 July), Germany’s main car industry lobby VDA called on the EU to pull back on the tariffs, arguing that they will do more harm than good.
EU trade chief quells business fears of heightened economic protectionism
Est. 3minThe European Union's growing emphasis on economic security will not unduly impact the bloc's business community or undermine the fundamental openness of Europe's economy, the EU's top trade official said on Tuesday (2 July).
EU pushes back on IMF criticism of ‘inward-looking’ industrial policies
Est. 8minA senior EU official pushed back on the IMF's recommendation that countries should pursue policies that encourage the diffusion of new technologies, arguing that the EU must sometimes introduce “protecting” measures to ensure its own economic security.
Germany wants upcoming Commission to pursue ‘EU only’ free trade agenda
Est. 5minAhead of the EU leaders’ meeting on Thursday and Friday (27-28 June), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz insisted for the next European Commission to conclude more free trade agreements (FTA) with third countries – without consensus among EU member states if need be.
Germany’s Scholz, Habeck pin their hopes on EU-China talks to avoid trade war
Est. 5minGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced hope on Monday (24 June) that EU and Chinese negotiators will reach a deal on electric vehicle (EV) tariffs before 4 July - the day European duties on Chinese carmakers are meant to come into effect.
Poland’s Duda wants more balanced trade with China as Brussels discusses tariffs
Est. 4minPolish President Andrzej Duda voiced hope during a visit to Beijing on Monday (24 June) his country could boost its exports to China, just as the EU is set to begin talks with Bejing on tariffs it threatened to impose on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).
EU-wide industrial strategy and ‘internal labour reserves’: Hungary’s policy priorities for the bloc
Est. 8minThe Hungarian government, which will take over the presidency of the Council of the EU next month, wants to address the EU’s currently sluggish economic development by mobilising “untapped labour potential” in the EU.
EU, China and pigs in the middle
Est. 5minChina's move to launch an investigation into EU pork imports is misguided and Bejing may come to regret it, writes John Clarke.
Is the growing EU-China trade dispute a staged act?
Est. 9minAs widely anticipated, the week was dominated by trade tariffs headlines. Two of the European Commission's top officials - trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis and vice president Margaritis Schinas - coordinated the EU executive's announcement on Wednesday
G7 cooperation with China on climate-aligned trade is vital
Est. 5minG7 countries should work with China to put in place climate-aligned trade policies needed to accelerate global climate action, by harnessing the power of international trade to promote innovation, reduce costs, and stimulate demand for green goods, write Matt Piotrowski and Joseph Dellatte.
UPDATE: EU-China tensions flare up as Chinese government rebukes EU tariffs move
Est. 4minThe EU will put additional tariffs on electric cars produced in China, the European Commission announced on Wednesday (12 June), as preliminary result of a anti-subsidy investigation showed prices being distorted by Chinese state support.
How EU-China trade negotiations could play out
Est. 6minWhile the imposition of new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles proves controversial within the EU due to the fear of Chinese retaliation, the option of negotiations has been met with increasing attention.
Limited appetite among member states for EU trade sanctions on Israel
Est. 4minAmid growing calls for economic sanctions against Israel in view of the worsening humanitarian toll of its military operations in Gaza, EU trade ministers briefly discussed the issue on Thursday (30 May) but remained far from deciding on actual steps.
Turkey should be ‘firmly re-anchored’ in EU, finance minister says
Est. 4minSpeaking in Brussels on Tuesday (14 May), Mehmet Şimşek added that the EU and Turkey share “equal blame” for the deterioration in their relationship in recent years.
China’s Xi to woo close ally Hungary with more investment
Est. 4minOn the last leg of his European tour in Hungary, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday (8 May) is expected to tighten ties with Budapest, its closest ally in the European Union. After Paris, Xi's visits to
Xi’s Europe visit shows the EU needs an economic intelligence service
Est. 7minEU countries and European institutions must do much more to share and centralise sensitive data, to better apprehend economic security risks and more efficiently protect supply chains from increasingly predacious geopolitical actors, writes Mathieu Duchâtel.
De-risking must be Team Europe’s strategy on China
Est. 6minAfter German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Beijing, France's Emmanuel Macron must make clear when President Xi visits Paris that de-risking is more than just 'made in Brussels', write Gesine Weber and Earl Wang.
EU officials scramble to prove Trade and Technology Council will survive Trump
Est. 6minThe European Commission played down fears that the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) could succumb to a Donald Trump presidency as pressure on high-level officials from both sides increased ahead of their meeting in Leuven, Belgium, on Thursday (4 April).
Macron open to new EU-Mercosur deal
Est. 4minOn a three-day official visit in Brazil, Emmanuel Macron proposed building a "new agreement" between the EU and Mercosur, which his Foreign Minister imagines to be broader than just trade. Critics and supporters of the original deal are now awaiting further details.
French government refuses to put CETA to parliamentary vote before European elections
Est. 3minThe ratification of CETA, the trade agreement between the EU and Canada, rejected last week by the Senate, will not be submitted to the National Assembly before the European elections, the government has confirmed, so as not to "instrumentalise the debate".
Macron may ignore the French Parliament if CETA is rejected
Est. 6minWith the Senate having just rejected the trade agreement with Canada (CETA) and a new rejection looming in the National Assembly just before the European elections, France could ignore this decision. The opposition is denouncing this as an anti-democratic move.
Industrial Competitiveness
Est. 1minDespite the passing of the Critical Raw Materials Act in 2023, Europe's reliance on importing critical raw materials remains a concern. In this series, Euractiv explores the EU's different routes to close the competitiveness gap in raw materials and decrease reliance on unpredictable suppliers.