China warns EU industrial push
- China’s commerce ministry said Monday the European Union’s Industrial Accelerator Act creates “serious” barriers and warned Beijing would retaliate if Chinese firms are harmed. - Beijing said it filed comments with the European Commission on Friday, targeting EU-origin rules and restrictions across batteries, electric vehicles, solar and raw materials. - The clash hits a March 4 EU bill tying subsidies to local content and tighter foreign investment terms. (ec.europa.eu)
China warned on Monday that it could retaliate if the European Union presses ahead with its Industrial Accelerator Act and Chinese companies are harmed. (rte.ie) (euronews.com) China’s commerce ministry said the proposal creates “serious” investment barriers and amounts to “institutional discrimination” through EU-origin preferences in procurement and public support. Beijing said it sent formal comments to the European Commission on Friday, April 24. (rte.ie) (china.org.cn) The ministry said the restrictions touch four strategic industries: batteries, electric vehicles, photovoltaics and critical raw materials. It said the bill could breach World Trade Organisation rules if foreign investors are treated differently. (euronews.com) (aa.com.tr) The European Commission proposed the law on March 4 as part of its push to expand low-carbon manufacturing inside the bloc. The bill is designed to steer public money toward European-made technologies and products while speeding industrial decarbonisation. (ec.europa.eu) (commission.europa.eu) Under the proposal, companies seeking public support in sectors including cars, green technology and steel would have to meet minimum thresholds for EU-made parts. Euronews reported examples in the draft of 70% EU content for electric vehicles and 25% for aluminium and cement. (rte.ie) (euronews.com) Brussels says the measure is meant to reduce dependencies on third countries and rebuild industrial capacity after steep job losses. Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné said at launch that the act would direct taxpayers’ money to European production, and the Commission said more than 200,000 jobs had already been lost in energy-intensive industries and autos since 2024. (euronews.com) (ec.europa.eu) European companies in affected sectors have argued for months that subsidised Chinese rivals are undercutting them in batteries, electric vehicles and other clean-tech supply chains. China’s chamber of commerce in the European Union said earlier in April that the draft marked a turn toward protectionism. (rte.ie) Asked about Beijing’s threat on Monday, the Commission said its proposals are “carefully calibrated” to meet economic goals and that it remains willing to hear partners’ views. It did not signal any retreat from the bill. (audiovisual.ec.europa.eu) The proposal still needs approval from the European Parliament and EU member states. That leaves Brussels and Beijing heading into the next stage of the fight before the law is even enacted. (euronews.com)
