Merz, Macron urge EU countermeasures
7h
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron urged the European Union to empower its Commission to swiftly counter unfair trade practices by China and the United States.
Bloomberg: "“We want to enable the European Commission to act quickly when necessary,” Merz told reporters in Berlin. “The drawback of European trade policy in recent years has always been that decision-making took too long.”"
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Germany and France Push Trade Weapon to Bar China Access
Germany and France are urging the European Union to adopt new powers that could cut China or other countries off from the bloc’s single market, risking a response from Beijing days before key talks on...
www.bloomberg.com
October 6, 2026 at 3:47 AM
Bloomberg: "“We want to enable the European Commission to act quickly when necessary,” Merz told reporters in Berlin. “The drawback of European trade policy in recent years has always been that decision-making took too long.”"
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Iikka Korhonen
SCMP: France and Germany call for new weapon allowing ‘immediate cut off’ of China from EU market – ‘laid out in a joint paper written by the bloc’s two largest members, as well as a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’
‘activation by reversed qualified majority’
‘activation by reversed qualified majority’
France, Germany seek new EU weapon to instantly cut off market access for China
Strategy laid out in joint paper and letter to EU chief signed by the leaders of the two largest members of the bloc and seen by the SCMP.
www.scmp.com
October 6, 2026 at 8:21 AM
SCMP: France and Germany call for new weapon allowing ‘immediate cut off’ of China from EU market – ‘laid out in a joint paper written by the bloc’s two largest members, as well as a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’
‘activation by reversed qualified majority’
‘activation by reversed qualified majority’
That is consistent. EU's steel protectionism hammers local steel users, whose demand for steel declines. So EU steel makers desperately need new source of steel demand that can withstand the higher prices that prevail under protectionism.
Weird China shock horseshoe... EU steelmakers beg for protection from China, but say Chinese cars in Europe will "offset a decline in local steel demand"
Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe CEO: "Chinese auto production in Europe will more than offset decline in local steel demand"
Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe CEO: "Chinese auto production in Europe will more than offset decline in local steel demand"
October 6, 2026 at 11:49 AM
That is consistent. EU's steel protectionism hammers local steel users, whose demand for steel declines. So EU steel makers desperately need new source of steel demand that can withstand the higher prices that prevail under protectionism.
Reposted by Mauro Gatti
💥Boom - it's ready, the joint Franco-German paper / letter to VDL on China.
Berlin & Paris - previously at polar opposite ends of the scale on China policy - now want a kill switch to cut China out of the EU market. This would have been unfathomable a few short months ago 🤯
Berlin & Paris - previously at polar opposite ends of the scale on China policy - now want a kill switch to cut China out of the EU market. This would have been unfathomable a few short months ago 🤯
October 5, 2026 at 1:52 PM
💥Boom - it's ready, the joint Franco-German paper / letter to VDL on China.
Berlin & Paris - previously at polar opposite ends of the scale on China policy - now want a kill switch to cut China out of the EU market. This would have been unfathomable a few short months ago 🤯
Berlin & Paris - previously at polar opposite ends of the scale on China policy - now want a kill switch to cut China out of the EU market. This would have been unfathomable a few short months ago 🤯
by Christian Odendahl Reposted by Henry Farrell
Well that letter was fun, wasn’t it?
But is it going to work? My latest with @tomnuttall.bsky.social on how the EU might confront China.
economist.com/europe/2026/...
But is it going to work? My latest with @tomnuttall.bsky.social on how the EU might confront China.
economist.com/europe/2026/...
Germany and France want EU storm gates for China’s trade surge
An astonishing joint letter suggests confrontation looms with China
economist.com
October 5, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Well that letter was fun, wasn’t it?
But is it going to work? My latest with @tomnuttall.bsky.social on how the EU might confront China.
economist.com/europe/2026/...
But is it going to work? My latest with @tomnuttall.bsky.social on how the EU might confront China.
economist.com/europe/2026/...
An interesting new paper by the Institut Jacques Delors argues that China's export surge is the result of a systemic domestic model that suppresses consumption and channels saving into subsidized investment and manufacturing capacity.
institutdelors.eu/en/publicati...
institutdelors.eu/en/publicati...
A new EU Structural Rebalancing Instrument to respond to China’s export surge - Institut Jacques Delors
institutdelors.eu
October 6, 2026 at 3:15 AM
An interesting new paper by the Institut Jacques Delors argues that China's export surge is the result of a systemic domestic model that suppresses consumption and channels saving into subsidized investment and manufacturing capacity.
institutdelors.eu/en/publicati...
institutdelors.eu/en/publicati...
Global imbalances and the China challenge cepr.org/voxeu/column...
with JP Landau
The widening Chinese trade surplus reflects not just macroeconomic imbalances but a growth model aiming at industrial & technological dominance, sustained by high saving, capital controls and exchange-rate management.
with JP Landau
The widening Chinese trade surplus reflects not just macroeconomic imbalances but a growth model aiming at industrial & technological dominance, sustained by high saving, capital controls and exchange-rate management.
Global imbalances and the China challenge
China's trade surplus is widening, its manufactured exports are surging, and the political backlash is intensifying. This column argues that the widening trade surplus reflects not just macroeconomic ...
cepr.org
October 5, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Global imbalances and the China challenge cepr.org/voxeu/column...
with JP Landau
The widening Chinese trade surplus reflects not just macroeconomic imbalances but a growth model aiming at industrial & technological dominance, sustained by high saving, capital controls and exchange-rate management.
with JP Landau
The widening Chinese trade surplus reflects not just macroeconomic imbalances but a growth model aiming at industrial & technological dominance, sustained by high saving, capital controls and exchange-rate management.
Personally I don't think Chinese carmakers will do the European steel sector that favour. Which then leads to calls for protectionism all the way downstream. It will be awesome.
October 6, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Personally I don't think Chinese carmakers will do the European steel sector that favour. Which then leads to calls for protectionism all the way downstream. It will be awesome.
by Simon Lester
This seemed like a key element of what's going on here: "China plainly understands the letter as a negotiating tactic to strengthen the EU’s hand in this week’s talks."
October 5, 2026 at 7:58 PM
This seemed like a key element of what's going on here: "China plainly understands the letter as a negotiating tactic to strengthen the EU’s hand in this week’s talks."
Reposted by Christian Odendahl
Weird China shock horseshoe... EU steelmakers beg for protection from China, but say Chinese cars in Europe will "offset a decline in local steel demand"
Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe CEO: "Chinese auto production in Europe will more than offset decline in local steel demand"
Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe CEO: "Chinese auto production in Europe will more than offset decline in local steel demand"
October 6, 2026 at 11:13 AM
Weird China shock horseshoe... EU steelmakers beg for protection from China, but say Chinese cars in Europe will "offset a decline in local steel demand"
Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe CEO: "Chinese auto production in Europe will more than offset decline in local steel demand"
Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe CEO: "Chinese auto production in Europe will more than offset decline in local steel demand"