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A team of European Union representatives is set to visit China in the near future to push forward commercial discussions, as Brussels aims to reduce a historic trade gap of €1 billion per day with Beijing, according to information from Euronews.

The European Commission expects the technical talks to produce “concrete” outcomes by October, when EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovičis anticipated to visit China.

Nevertheless, discussions initiated by the Commission and Beijing in June have faced difficulties in recent weeks following China’s prohibition of companies from sharing data with Brussels during investigations under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, the EU’s framework designed to stop unfair foreign subsidies.

“Neither an organization nor an individual may carry out or provide assistance in implementing these inappropriate extraterritorial jurisdiction measures,” stated China’s Ministry of Justice on August 19, referring to the EU’s ongoing inquiry into the Chinese e-commerce company JD.com after its €2.5 billion acquisition of German electronics retailer Ceconomy.

The probe follows an OECD reportfoundEarlier this year, it was reported that China’s support for businesses reached as much as eight times the level offered by OECD countries. The European Union is also experiencing a rise in inexpensive Chinese imports, increasing significant pressure on European industries.

Brussels continued its inquiries

Although there are ongoing delicate discussions, Brussels has not ceased its probes into what it considers unjust trade practices from China, initiating multiple anti-dumping cases during the summer.

The Commission faces pressure from EU member nations, who provided President Ursula von der Leyen with a directive during a summit in June to examine the union’s trade defense mechanisms and engage in discussions with Beijing to achieve tangible outcomes.

The initial step occurred a few weeks later, as Šefčovič met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, in Brussels for political discussions that officially launched talks between the EU and China.

The two parties committed to creating a collaborative oversight system to share information and monitor trade movements “with the aim of increasing openness, building mutual confidence, and addressing trade disputes,” as stated in a release.

Market access remains a top priority. China claims the EU is closing its market to Chinese firms via new rules, while EU countries are pushing for improved access to China for European companies.

Brussels also selected October as a deadline for a specific purpose: it will signify the conclusion of a one-year pause regarding China’s exports of rare earth materials, after Beijing decided to stop all shipments during its trade conflict with the United States.

For the European Union, maintaining ongoing access to these vital minerals is essential, as they are fundamental to the region’s green technology, automotive, and defense sectors.