BRUSSELS, 5th October, 2026 (WAM) -- EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will begin talks in Beijing on Thursday, October 8, with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, focusing on addressing China’s record trade surplus with the European Union.
China’s trade surplus with the EU reached €360.6 billion in 2025, an annual increase of 15%, before expanding by a further 10% during the first four months of the current year.
The talks follow a meeting held in Brussels last June, during which both sides agreed to establish working groups to discuss trade imbalances, export controls, intellectual property, and reform of the World Trade Organization. Šefčovič is seeking tangible results from the dialogue.
Chinese electric vehicles are among the main points of contention. In 2024, the EU imposed additional tariffs ranging from 7.8% to 35.3%, depending on the manufacturer. However, hybrid vehicles were excluded from the measures, leading Chinese hybrid vehicle exports to the EU to surge from around 3,800 vehicles in October 2024 to nearly 50,000 vehicles in July 2026.
Šefčovič is also expected to discuss Chinese guarantees regarding supplies of rare earth elements and critical minerals to European companies, as the deadline for the freeze on additional export restrictions on these materials approaches its end. European companies fear potential disruptions to supply chains.
The talks come amid reports that some German companies are stockpiling rare earth elements in anticipation of a possible failure of the negotiations.