The European Union is preparing to significantly expand its trade defense measures against Chinese imports, signaling a tougher stance toward what Brussels describes as unfair competition threatening the survival of major European industries.
European Commissioner for Industry Stéphane Séjourné said the bloc intends to broaden the use of safeguard measures, including import quotas and tariffs, to protect entire industrial sectors rather than targeting only specific companies or products. The proposed shift marks one of the EU’s strongest trade responses yet to China’s growing manufacturing dominance and export capacity.
According to Séjourné, industries including chemicals, metals, machinery, automotive manufacturing, and clean technology are increasingly vulnerable to low-cost Chinese imports supported by state subsidies and industrial overcapacity.
“We will use safeguard clauses in a more general manner on sectors and not just on businesses or particular raw materials,” Séjourné said in remarks published by Financial Times.
He argued that the EU’s current trade defense procedures often move too slowly to effectively rescue struggling industries. Existing investigations into unfair trade practices can take several months before action is implemented, by which time companies may already face severe financial damage.
“It will be a less fragmented approach that allows us to get over difficulties for entire sectors,” he said.
The planned measures would expand the EU’s use of safeguard mechanisms, which impose quotas on imported products and apply additional tariffs when imports exceed those limits. Brussels believes broader deployment of such tools is necessary to counter a surge of low-priced Chinese goods entering European markets.
The tougher approach comes as the EU’s trade deficit with China continues widening. European officials estimate the bloc now records roughly €1 billion in trade deficits with China every day, fueling growing political pressure from member states concerned about industrial competitiveness and job losses.
Séjourné warned that millions of European jobs could be at risk if the bloc fails to respond more aggressively to Chinese industrial expansion.
“Our objective is not to break with China but to have a real rebalancing and real measures that allow us to do it,” he said.
The EU’s new strategy reflects rising anxiety across Europe over dependence on Chinese manufacturing supply chains, particularly in sectors considered strategically important for the bloc’s long-term economic and technological competitiveness.
European policymakers increasingly fear that Chinese industrial overcapacity could overwhelm domestic manufacturers, especially as Beijing continues heavily subsidizing key industries such as electric vehicles, batteries, steel, solar technology, chemicals, and machinery.
The Commission is also considering additional measures designed to reduce European dependence on concentrated foreign suppliers. Among the proposals under discussion is a so-called “resilience” mechanism that could impose quotas or extra duties when imports from a single supplier or country exceed certain thresholds.
Five EU member states, including France, are reportedly backing the proposal as part of a broader effort to strengthen Europe’s industrial resilience.
The proposals are expected to be discussed during a special European Commission meeting focused on China policy.
While European officials stress they are not seeking a complete economic decoupling from China, Brussels is increasingly embracing the concept of “de-risking” supply chains and reducing strategic vulnerabilities.
Séjourné acknowledged that some EU countries remain cautious about escalating tensions with Beijing, particularly export-oriented economies such as Germany and Spain that maintain strong commercial ties with China.
“We are trying to find ways forward in the maze of discussions with member states,” he said.
The tougher trade posture also reflects growing frustration in Brussels over the limitations of existing global trade rules. Séjourné argued that the World Trade Organization is no longer capable of providing rapid solutions to address the scale of China’s industrial policies and export expansion.
“The WTO is no longer seen as a short-term solution but a long-term project that we must build up bit by bit,” he said.
European officials increasingly believe the bloc must rely on its own defensive tools rather than waiting for lengthy international dispute resolution processes.
The proposed safeguard expansion follows mounting political pressure from European industries that say they are struggling to compete against heavily subsidized Chinese producers.
Steel manufacturers, chemical companies, machinery makers, and clean energy firms have repeatedly warned Brussels that unchecked imports risk accelerating factory closures and weakening Europe’s industrial base.
The automotive sector has become another major battleground. Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers continue rapidly expanding into Europe, intensifying concerns among European carmakers already grappling with slowing economic growth and the costly transition toward electrification.
The EU has already introduced tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles following investigations into alleged state subsidies, but Brussels now appears ready to extend protective measures more broadly across multiple sectors.
China, however, has strongly criticized the EU’s approach.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning rejected accusations that Beijing intentionally pursues trade surpluses with Europe and accused Brussels of promoting protectionism under the guise of economic security.
“Whether it is ‘de-risking,’ ‘reducing dependence’ or so-called ‘trade balance,’ these are in essence forms of protectionism,” Mao said.
She added that China is closely monitoring the EU’s policy direction and would take necessary measures to protect its interests if required.
The escalating trade tensions highlight the increasingly fragile economic relationship between China and Europe as geopolitical rivalries reshape global trade patterns.
European leaders are attempting to balance economic cooperation with China against rising concerns over supply chain security, industrial competitiveness, and geopolitical dependence.
Séjourné warned that failure by Brussels to protect European industries could eventually push member states to bypass EU institutions and impose national-level trade barriers independently.
“In three or four years countries will say, ‘you’ve not been able to protect us so we are going to retake control over trade and put in place safeguard, protection and border control measures ourselves,’” he said.
He argued such fragmentation would weaken the EU single market and undermine Europe’s global competitiveness.
The debate over Chinese imports is becoming increasingly central to the EU’s broader economic strategy as policymakers seek to preserve industrial production, secure supply chains, and reduce external vulnerabilities in an era of intensifying geopolitical competition.
With trade deficits widening and pressure mounting from domestic industries, Brussels appears increasingly willing to adopt more interventionist policies to defend Europe’s manufacturing base against Chinese competition.
