Merz and Macron want the EU to hit back harder — and faster — against trade threats
France and Germany want to give Brussels new powers to rapidly block imports deemed an economic or security threat.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron have called for the European Commission to act more swiftly against trade threats in a joint letter, warning of the severe impact of weaponization of trade and market-distorting practices on the EU's open trading system. The leaders argue that the EU's existing trade defense mechanisms are insufficient to combat these challenges.
They propose the creation of a new tool, the Anti-Coercion Instrument, commonly referred to as the EU's "trade bazooka," which would grant Brussels the power to exclude imports from specific countries. However, the activation of this instrument would require a lengthy investigation process and the backing of a qualified majority of EU governments, making it difficult to implement swiftly.
The proposal aims to level the playing field and prevent economic coercion, though divisions among member countries have previously hindered efforts to agree on trade measures targeting China. The leaders hope to discuss the outcome of Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič's China trade talks during a Brussels summit next week.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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