The fight for industrial capacity is reshaping the global landscape. EU upstream and downstream industries face the same challenges: unfair trade practices and persistent overcapacity/oversupply induced by state-driven distortions. This comes at a time when European producers are already confronted, among others, with high energy costs that
put the EU’s competitiveness under strain.
The EU needs to operate on a level playing field that ensures fair, rules-based competition. For instance, it is well-known that China’s imports to the EU are skyrocketing: in 2025, the EU goods deficit with China was about €359.8 billion (almost
€1 billion every day). This reflects a broader, structural imbalance that distorts competition, weakens Europe’s industrial base and increases strategic dependencies.
Download the call from 44 European organisations for fair competition through more ambitious EU Trade Defence
