Paris and Berlin Push Brussels for Sharper Weapons in China Trade Standoff

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have sent a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanding a tougher stance on trade with China. Accompanying the letter was a strategic policy document—known in EU diplomatic circles as a "non-paper"—calling for the European Union to upgrade its trade defence measures. The joint initiative comes ahead of high-level talks with Beijing, driven by rising anxiety in Paris and Berlin over Europe's widening trade imbalance with China. Both leaders argue that the EU’s current regulatory tools are no longer strong enough to protect European industries against state-subsidised foreign competition.

Trade is one of the rare policy areas where individual European nations do not act alone. Under EU law, national governments cannot individually set tariffs or block imports; the European Commission handles all trade negotiations and enforcement on behalf of all 27 member states. For businesses and consumers across Europe, a shift toward stronger trade defences could change the economic playing field. If Brussels acts on the Franco-German request, the EU could speed up anti-subsidy investigations, levy higher duties on underpriced foreign imports, or restrict foreign companies' access to European public tenders. While this offers local manufacturers greater protection against unfair competition, it also carries the risk of retaliatory trade disputes that could raise costs for consumers.

The choice of vehicle for this message is classic Brussels mechanics. A "non-paper" is an official document explicitly labelled as unofficial, allowing governments to float ambitious ideas without legally binding themselves to the text. In this case, however, the political weight behind the paper is undeniable. Under the EU treaties, the Commission holds a monopoly on proposing new EU legislation, meaning national capitals cannot simply write their own trade laws—they must convince the Commission to do it for them. Historically, France and Germany have frequently disagreed on trade policy, with Berlin prioritizing open export markets and Paris pushing for industrial safeguards. That Chancellor Merz and President Macron are issuing a unified position paper highlights how significantly the political consensus within the EU bubble has shifted toward a more defensive stance on global trade.

The decision now rests with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her trade officials, who are reviewing the Franco-German proposals ahead of upcoming diplomatic talks with Chinese officials. If the Commission decides to act on the suggestions, it will need to draft formal legislative proposals. Those proposals would then have to pass through the EU's dual legislative engine: the Council of the EU, where member state ministers vote, and the European Parliament. While major legislative updates in Brussels take time to navigate the full legislative machinery, an explicit joint demand from the EU's two largest economies ensures the issue will sit at the top of the Commission's policy agenda.