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Politico (20 May 2026)

Gabriel GAVIN, Jordyn DAHL, Hans Von Der BURCHARD and Carlo MARTUSCELLI

Fears over flagging industries has created an opportunity for Brussels to get tough on Beijing, officials and diplomats say.

The European Commission wants to capitalize on the crisis facing German industry to try to convince Berlin to give Brussels tougher powers to protect the economy from cheap Chinese imports.

Germany has for a long time been reluctant to jeopardize its trade ties with Beijing, fearing retaliation if it imposes restrictions, but the Commission is betting Chancellor Friedrich Merz will struggle to justify that stance in the face of sluggish growth, four European diplomats and officials with knowledge of the discussions in Brussels told POLITICO.

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