07.10.2026 - "An agreement between China and the EU in terms of trade is of central importance for the German economy. The aim must be to consistently reduce existing trade distortions, export restrictions, and currency devaluations regarding critical raw materials. This includes, alongside government industrial subsidies, access hurdles for German goods and services exports as well as restrictions on access to public procurement in China.

A negotiated trade agreement, such as agreed export quotas, is clearly preferable to further trade policy escalation. The supply chains between Germany, Europe, and China have developed over many years and are closely interlinked. They cannot be replaced in the short term.

At the same time, the EU must act united and determined to effectively represent its economic interests. In view of geoeconomic challenges, a more proactive, decisive, and united EU economic security agenda is necessary to reduce strategic dependencies. This requires closely involving the breadth of the economy in all processes, reducing instead of increasing bureaucracy, and ensuring Europe neither fundamentally isolates itself nor erodes WTO trade law. Faster and less bureaucratic trade defense measures are needed. The planned diversification instrument should rely on incentives rather than burdens for companies, such as reporting obligations and customs costs. With an additional instrument against market distortions, the EU could negotiate more strongly worldwide, but this could also escalate trade conflicts more sharply.

According to a recent DIHK survey, two-thirds of companies report growing competition from Chinese competitors, and 55 per cent of businesses support stronger EU measures to counteract trade distortions in relation to China—even if they themselves would face negative consequences.”