EU gears up to open 20 anti-dumping probes against Chinese products

The EU is preparing 20 anti-dumping investigations against China to protect European industries from cheap imports and overcapacity in Chinese manufacturing

The European Union (EU) is preparing to sharply increase its trade defences against China in the coming weeks to protect its industries from cheap imports and industrial spillovers, according to former EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, as reported by South China Morning Post.

 

Speaking at an event hosted by the Institute for International and Economic Affairs in Dublin on Thursday, Malmstrom said there were “preparations for another 20 anti-dumping investigations in a variety of fields going on". She added, “So I think they will be opened consecutively in the coming weeks.”

 

Beijing remains a 'complicated partner'

 

Malmstrom described China as “a complicated partner” that has “very cleverly taken advantage of countries across the world who are disappointed with the United States (US)” since the return of US President Donald Trump, the news report said.

 

“Many people said that now, when the EU and the US have increasing tensions, this will push the EU towards China. That hasn’t happened,” she noted, as quoted by the report. “Other countries have been pushed towards China, but not the EU. We still have these massive concerns.”

 

Recently, concerns have grown over China’s industrial overcapacity and the “weaponisation” of its dominance in rare earth minerals and magnets. New export licensing rules introduced in April have led to dozens of industrial closures in Europe.

 

“This is a clear example of the... weaponisation of dependencies,” said EU trade chief Sabine Weyand. She added that the Commission had lodged a complaint last week against China’s provisional tariffs on EU pork imports, highlighting “significant shortcomings” under global trade rules.   

 

EU trade actions and measures

 

The pace of EU trade investigations has slowed in 2025, with eight new anti-dumping cases against China so far, compared to 20 in 2024. Yet officials insist the underlying issues persist. Earlier this year, the EU invoked its international procurement instrument for the first time to block Chinese firms from public tenders, and discussions are ongoing about using the anti-coercion instrument against Beijing.

 

News reports indicate that Brussels may impose tariffs ranging from 25 per cent to 50 per cent on Chinese steel, while EU President Ursula von der Leyen has announced “buy Europe” provisions to support the domestic industry. Denis Redonnet, the bloc’s top trade enforcement official, stressed that trade defence measures are a temporary solution. “The real problem… stems from the very nature of the state capitalist system in China,” he said, as quoted by South China Morning Post.

 

Von der Leyen raised EU concerns over export controls, market access, and overcapacity with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the UN General Assembly in New York. “I appreciate China’s willingness to engage with us in a spirit of mutual understanding,” she said.   

 

Trump urges EU tariffs on China, India

 

Earlier this month, President Trump urged the EU to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on China and India to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine conflict. The EU delegation in Washington reportedly discussed the proposal with US officials, though Brussels has so far relied primarily on sanctions rather than tariffs to influence Moscow.

 

Trump’s call came after a meeting between Russia, China, and India at the SCO Summit in Tianjin, and followed US tariff actions targeting Indian imports over continued oil trade with Russia.

 

(With agency inputs)