The EU plans to expand quotas and tariffs to address the impact of imports from Chinese products

EU Commissioner: EU to Strengthen Quotas and Impose Tariffs to Protect Industry from Impact of Chinese Product Imports

Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and EU Commissioner for Industrial Strategy, said in an interview with the Financial Times that the EU will expand the use of import quotas and tariffs to protect its entire industrial sector from the "existential threat" posed by imports from China.

In early May, Politico reported, citing a proposal from Brussels, that the EU is intensifying efforts to reduce its economic dependence on China. According to the report, potential measures under consideration include identifying more sectors requiring "safeguard investigations" to assess the damage that imported products may cause to domestic industries, as well as the possibility of introducing tariff quotas.

The Financial Times quoted Séjourné as saying: "Given the competitive threats from China facing European industries such as chemicals, metallurgy, and clean technology, the EU will implement import quotas and tariffs in a more systematic manner."

The publication emphasized that the EU’s safeguard measures include imposing tariffs on goods exceeding quota limits. It noted that this move is part of a broader package of actions aimed at protecting European markets and their industries from the impact of "cheap Chinese products and exports."

The Executive Vice-President of the European Commission stressed that the EU will apply safeguard measures "more broadly across industrial sectors," rather than limiting them to specific companies or particular raw materials.

According to the Financial Times, the European Commission is considering proposals from five member states, including France, to establish a "resilience tool" that would allow quotas or additional tariffs to be imposed on suppliers when their import volumes exceed certain thresholds. The publication added that EU commissioners will discuss specific measures during a special meeting on China scheduled for Friday.

Last week, Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and EU Commissioner for Industrial Strategy, urged European businesses to accelerate efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese suppliers during an interview with Bloomberg.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1866417637545036/

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