Europe Is Finally Getting Tough on China's Car Flood. America Got There First
The EU's trade chief heads to Beijing with a €1 billion-a-day deficit and a flood of Chinese hybrids. In our view, Europe is learning what President Trump has argued for years.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 7, 2026 | 5-min read Europe's top trade official is flying to Beijing on Wednesday, and his message, in effect, is simple: slow the flood of cheap Chinese cars, or Europe will do it for you. Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will meet Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao for two days of talks starting Thursday [1][2]. The European Union now runs a trade deficit with China of about €1 billion a day [1][3]. On Monday, Germany's chancellor and France's president jointly called for power to restrict, or even cut off, imports from countries that distort Europe's market [1]. And on Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that the European Commission is preparing safeguard measures that would limit imports of Chinese hybrids, according to people familiar with the matter [5]. In our view, Europe is finally learning what President Trump has argued for years. Free trade with a country that does not play by free-trade rules is not free. Key Takeaways The EU imported more than one million new cars from China in 2025 and exported only 160,000. In August, one in eight cars sold in the EU was Chinese [1]. Brussels is seeking a commitment from Beijing to curb exports of plug-in hybrids, which escaped the tariffs the EU put on Chinese electric cars in 2024. Plug-in hybrid