Germany and France demand right to immediately expel countries from EU single market

Paris and Berlin have sent a joint appeal to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanding the creation of a strict mechanism to protect against unfair competition. Although China is not explicitly mentioned in the letter, the initiative is clearly aimed at Beijing: amid the EU's trade deficit with China reaching 360 billion euros, European leaders are calling for the right to respond to trade violations within days, not years.

The new tool would allow for swift sanctions — from targeted import bans on specific goods to a complete blockade of a country's access to the European single market. Notably, Germany is a co-author of this radical measure, despite previously always safeguarding its economic ties with China.

Meanwhile, under pressure from Brussels, the United Kingdom has begun considering the introduction of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.