Future EU Chief Pledges Tough Action on China

The trade chief-designate of the European Union pledged tough action on China’s overcapacity exports. At a parliamentary confirmation hearing on Nov. 4, Maros Sefcovic, the Slovakia-born European commissioner designate for trade, called China the EU’s most challenging trading partner. “EU is not interested in trade wars,” Sefcovic said, pointing out that China’s problems include overcapacity, subsidies, and an unequal playing field. “We are looking for rebalancing our relationship with China in areas where we feel our relationship is not fair. “We will tackle with all our force overcapacities being created by China and threatening our industry in Europe.” On Oct. 4, the EU decided to impose hefty duties on electric vehicles made in China, the highest-profile trade measure against the country in more than a decade....