Merz and Macron urge stronger EU trade safeguards
An informal proposal calls for supplier diversification and faster exclusion from the single market in exceptional cases, with member states able to block the move.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron have urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to strengthen the EU’s response to unfair trade practices, arguing that existing tools are insufficient.
Their informal, non-binding proposal calls for measures to diversify suppliers and reduce dependence on individual sources. It also proposes allowing the Commission to exclude a country from the single market more quickly in exceptional circumstances.
Under the suggested process, member states could block an exclusion through a qualified majority vote. The proposal does not name a target country, and its adoption is uncertain.
Deutsche Welle reports that China or the United States may be in view, but neither is identified by the leaders. The report cites EU dependence on China for some raw materials, including rare earths, and differing estimates of the bloc’s 2025 trade deficit with China: about €360 billion in EU figures and $292 billion from Chinese statisticians.
The appeal comes ahead of EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic’s planned visit to Beijing and an EU leaders’ summit scheduled for 15–16 October.
