EU sets up three months of talks with China over €360bn trade deficit

Two sides agree to try to make bilateral relationship ‘more balanced’ after weeks of threats The EU and China have agreed to enter three months of talks to try to avoid a trade war over the bloc’s €360bn (£310bn) annual import/export imbalance. In their first joint statement in seven years, the two sides agreed in Brussels to open a formal trade consultation after weeks of threats and recriminations from China if the EU imposed any measures to stop the flood of goods and components into the b...

By Lisa O’Carroll

EU allocates €2m to preserve and digitise Ukraine's documentary heritage

The European Union will allocate €2 million to expand a programme aimed at preserving Ukraine's documentary heritage and ensuring digital and inclusive access to information.

By Daria Lobanok

EU sets October deadline for ‘tangible results’ on China imbalances after key trade talks

In a bid to cool searing trade tensions, the European Union and China have launched a new ministerial-level platform for solving grievances, with Brussels insisting that disputes over trade imbalances, export controls and intellectual property must deliver “tangible results” by October. On Monday, in the middle of marathon talks in the Belgian capital, the sides issued a rare joint statement, in which they announced four initial workstreams, focused on trade and investment balancing, export...

By Finbarr Bermingham

China, EU commerce ministers meet amid widening trade imbalance

EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and his Chinese counterpart are meeting in Brussels as Europe prepares countermeasures to battle a flood of cheap imports. Also, oil prices climb after a weekend of renewed strikes between the US and Iran, and South Korea unveils a massive new investment in chip production.

By Bryan QUINN

EU fund opens new route for shipping and port investment 

The European Union is moving to create a new financing framework that could channel public and private money into cleaner ships, smarter ports and maritime technology, as Brussels seeks to strengthen Europe’s industrial base in one of its most strategic sectors.  The proposed European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), part of the EU’s next long-term budget for 2028-2034, is designed to simplify access […]

EU seeks 'tangible' results on trade with China by October

EU ​trade chief Maros Sefcovic, who held talks with China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao ⁠in Brussels on Monday, said ⁠he wanted dialogue to yield 'tangible' results by Octob...