EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao have launched a new EU–China “Trade and Investment Consultations” forum after meeting in Brussels on 29 June 2026.
Šefčovič said the talks were his fourth meeting with Wang and followed preparatory work by EU officials in Beijing, the Commission informed on Tuesday.
He stated China’s exports to the EU were rising while the EU’s market share in China was shrinking, adding that the EU wanted to “begin balancing” the trade relationship.
The new consultations are designed as a ministerial-level platform to discuss trade and investment policies and to “stabilise and make” the bilateral relationship more balanced.
Officials from both sides were instructed to work across four initial areas: trade and investment balancing, export controls, intellectual property rights, and reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) — the global body that sets rules for international trade.
Monitoring trade flows and discussing export controls
The EU and China agreed to set up a joint monitoring mechanism to exchange relevant data and track trade flows, a step intended to support technical work and improve transparency, the Commission said.
The Commission also disclosed that the two sides exchanged lists of market access issues and discussed potential tariff and non-tariff initiatives, with further consultations to continue under the trade and investment workstream.
Rare earth elements and permanent magnets — materials used in products including electronics and electric motors — were also discussed.
Šefčovič said he welcomed reassurance from Wang that existing Chinese export controls in this area would not disrupt EU supply chains, and said he proposed ways to ease the licensing process for EU firms.
The two sides agreed to meet again at ministerial level in autumn 2026, and Šefčovič said he would travel to Beijing in the autumn to assess progress.
