{
  "id": 10896130,
  "title": "EU weighs sweeping new trade powers against China before make-or-break October",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/eu-weighs-sweeping-new-trade-powers-against-china-before-make-or-10896130",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-30T08:00:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
    "slug": "reuters-business-via-scmp",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369303/eu-weighs-sweeping-new-trade-powers-against-china-make-or-break-october"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As the EU prepares for a critical trade showdown with China in October, the bloc is considering sweeping new powers to counter Beijing's trade practices. In a make-or-break month, Brussels and Berlin are looking to set the tone for the complex EU-China relationship for years to come. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic is set to meet Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on October 8 and 9, assessing progress in rebalancing trade ties since the last clash in June. With China's exports surging and Europe's own automotive industry in decline, the EU aims to curb the torrent of Chinese imports that has widened the trade deficit. However, Beijing has dismissed the idea of limiting shipments. Discussions are expected to inform an EU summit in Brussels, where the Commission will push for new measures, perhaps including a 301-like tool that could quickly restrict Chinese imports from the market, similar to the US Section 301 tool. China remains wary of unilateral action and has urged Europe to avoid a \"race to the bottom.\"",
  "summary": "Brussels and Berlin are steeling themselves for a make-or-break October with China, as the mood towards Beijing hardens in both capitals. The month ahead could help set the course of the increasingly thorny EU-China relationship for years to come, as Europe gears up to present a slew of new tools for countering Beijing’s trade practices, likely to come in December. Before then, EU trade chief…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "EU weighs sweeping new trade powers against China before make-or-break October",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/eu-weighs-sweeping-new-trade-powers-against-china-before-make-or",
        "published": "2026-09-30T08:00:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}