EU and China agree to continue talks on export control policies after Brussels meeting
Brussels, November 1 – The European Union and China have agreed to maintain dialogue on export control policies, the European Commission’s trade chief Maros Sefcovic said on Saturday, following a high-level meeting in Brussels aimed at easing trade frictions.
The talks, held on Friday between senior EU and Chinese officials, focused largely on China’s expanded restrictions on rare earth exports, which had raised alarm across European industries dependent on the critical materials. Beijing has now agreed to pause the expansion of those export controls for one year, according to Sefcovic.
“China confirmed that the suspension of the October export controls applies to the EU,” Sefcovic said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue engagement on improving the implementation of export control policies.”
Rare earth elements are vital for the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced electronics — sectors where the EU is seeking to reduce its dependency on Chinese suppliers amid growing geopolitical tensions.
The discussions also touched on Nexperia, the Chinese-owned semiconductor firm that came under Dutch government control last month due to national security concerns. The move has stirred unease in Beijing and risks disrupting the supply chain for European carmakers that rely on Nexperia’s chips.
The EU and China are expected to continue technical-level talks over the coming months to prevent further escalation in trade disputes, which have strained relations between the two major economic powers.
