EU lawmakers urge China to extend export limits beyond hybrid cars
A delegation of 12 MEPs pressed Beijing for restrictions in more industries as EU-China trade negotiations are expected to run until at least March 2027.
European lawmakers visiting China called for limits on Chinese exports across additional industrial sectors, warning that Beijing’s reliance on exports was unsustainable for the EU. The 12-member delegation urged Chinese officials to extend the approach agreed for hybrid cars in October.
Bernd Lange, the German Socialist MEP who chairs the European Parliament’s trade committee, described the hybrid-car agreement as an initial step towards fairer trade. He said the delegation had made clear that it expected similar arrangements for other sectors.
The October agreement provides for country-specific quotas under which 350,000 Chinese hybrid cars can enter the EU each year over four years. It includes a fixed yearly adjustment of 6 per cent. The EU’s deficit in trade with China has climbed to a record €360 billion and is still increasing.
At their October summit, EU leaders instructed the European Commission to impose unilateral import quotas and tariffs covering chemicals and industrial machinery. The Commission is also developing a mechanism to suspend China’s access to the single market if economic pressure causes market distortions.
Negotiations between the EU and China are expected to last until at least March 2027, when EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is scheduled to meet Wang Wentao, his Chinese counterpart.
After discussions with the EU’s 27 trade ministers, Šefčovič said all EU heads of state or government were concerned about the possibility of heavy job losses. He called for a political approach alongside conventional trade measures.
