Paris and Berlin are pressing the European Commission to adopt a high-speed trade defense tool capable of blocking cheap Chinese imports within days, according to diplomatic documents reviewed by international media outlets. Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz outlined the proposal in an October 5 letter, aiming to bypass the lengthy consensus procedures that currently paralyze Brussels trade responses as economic friction between the European Union and Beijing intensifies.
The Franco-German Proposal for Rapid Market Defense
The proposed mechanism seeks to dramatically lower the threshold required for the European Union to halt incoming shipments that threaten domestic industries. Under the current anti-coercion instrument, which has never been deployed since its creation, Brussels requires the backing of more than half of member states representing at least 65 percent of the EU population. Macron and Merz argue that this framework moves too slowly to counter sudden surges of low-priced foreign goods. Their joint letter, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and The Economist, suggests a system that could enforce an immediate cutoff of the internal market when necessary, functioning much like Section 301 of the United States trade laws that allow Washington to impose tariffs quickly.
Shifting Industrial Realities Inside Germany
This joint initiative marks a significant policy shift for Berlin, which historically resisted aggressive trade postures toward Beijing. Germany voted against EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in 2024. However, intensifying domestic competition and major structural announcements—including substantial job cuts at Volkswagen—have altered the political calculus. Oliver Richtberg, head of foreign trade for the German mechanical engineering federation VDMA, told The Economist that a broad consensus has emerged within German industry acknowledging that current market conditions are unsustainable.
EU Trade Deficit with China Reaches 360 Billion Euros
The legislative push coincides with a rapidly deteriorating economic relationship. Last year, the European Union’s trade deficit with China reached 360 billion euros, averaging more than one billion dollars per day according to figures cited by The Wall Street Journal. Denis Redonnet, charged with the application of trade rules at the European Commission, noted that key sectors including machinery, textiles, base metals, and chemicals face persistent and abnormal import surges. In response to mounting protectionist signals from Brussels, Beijing has begun pushing back. On October 3, China launched an antidumping probe targeting European chemical exports, following three separate EU trade investigations opened the previous week. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce warned that diplomatic pressure during ongoing negotiations in Beijing would undermine mutual trust.
Negotiations in Beijing and Next Steps in Brussels
The proposals surfaced as European Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic traveled to Beijing for high-stakes bilateral talks described as decisive for the future of commercial ties. European leaders are scheduled to convene next week to review the Franco-German trade defense framework.
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