EU trade chief Manfred Weber warns of looming EU‑China trade war

Manfred Weber, head of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, urged the EU to reset its relationship with China, warning that the current trade deficit of "almost one billion euros per day" threatens Europe's industrial base and high‑skill jobs. He called for stronger use of trade policy tools, citing existing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and suggesting they could be expanded.

Weber highlighted concerns that EU development aid can end up benefiting Chinese firms, referencing a recent procurement of natural‑gas buses for Senegal won by a Chinese bidder. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, after meeting his Chinese counterpart Li Chenggang in Paris, said deeper dialogue will aim to address the unsustainable deficit. While pushing for a tougher stance, Weber warned that Beijing could retaliate by restricting exports of critical materials such as rare earths, which would especially impact German manufacturing. The remarks come ahead of the EU summit on 18 June, where several member states, led by France, are pressing for a firmer line toward Beijing.