China’s coffin exports are now said to threaten Europe

If even China’s coffin exports can be deemed a “threat,” perhaps Europe should consider shutting itself off entirely.

On the 29th, the European edition of Politico reported that European coffin manufacturers are uniting to urge the EU to investigate alleged “unfair competitive practices” by Chinese companies—specifically, whether Chinese firms are dumping coffins in Europe at “unfair prices.”

According to Politico, over the past five years, one-quarter of Europe’s coffin manufacturers have gone out of business, with the number dropping from around 120 to 90. However, it is clear that those surviving manufacturers are attributing their decline to supposed “unfair competition” from Chinese firms, citing the familiar argument of “state subsidies.”

Beyond coffins, European businesses previously claimed that Chinese candles posed a threat to their industry. In January this year, the European Commission announced anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese candle imports ranging from 56.7% to 60.3%.

It must be noted that these claims by European businesses regarding Chinese coffin and candle exports are difficult to take seriously: if European automakers cannot compete with Chinese electric or hybrid vehicles, one might still attempt to link such challenges to China’s industrial upgrading and technological advantages. But when it comes to coffins and candles, can the same logic be applied? Why do Europeans not reflect on whether the issue lies within their own industries?

It should be emphasized that accusations of “unfair competition” from China have notably intensified since 2022—a year during which significant geopolitical shifts occurred in Europe, though further details need not be elaborated here.

Thus, what European firms label as “unfair competition” from China is, in fact, one of the chain reactions triggered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the EU’s sanctions against Russia. The root cause, however, lies within Europe itself—not in any alleged misconduct by Chinese enterprises. Ultimately, these accusations serve as a form of blame-shifting, using China as a scapegoat to obscure the fundamental decline in competitiveness among European businesses.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1880560288037892/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone