Eurometal warns EU could lose 300,000 manufacturing jobs by end-2026 on China competition

September 7, 2026 at 01:10 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

European steel trade association Eurometal warned the EU could lose 300,000 manufacturing jobs by the end of 2026 due to China's 'colonisation' of component supply chains. European companies are forced to buy from China because of low prices, a weak yuan and the absence of carbon tariffs. A protest with ten coffins is scheduled for 7 September outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.

Key Facts

Eurometal warns the EU could lose 300,000 manufacturing jobs by the end of 2026 due to China's 'colonisation' of component supply chains.
China has a record trade surplus with the EU of €1 billion per day.
A protest with ten coffins is scheduled for 7 September outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.
Eurometal head Alexander Julius said China wants to be a supplier of components, not raw materials, and the European Commission must fight the 'virus' of dependence on Chinese imports.

Job Loss Warning

Eurometal, a leading European steel trade association, warned that the EU risks losing 300,000 manufacturing jobs by the end of 2026. The association attributed the projected losses to China's 'colonisation' of component supply chains. European companies are forced to purchase from China because of low prices, a weak yuan and the absence of carbon tariffs on Chinese producers. China has a record trade surplus with the EU of €1 billion per day.

Protest and Response

A protest with ten coffins is scheduled for 7 September outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. The coffins will bear inscriptions such as 'EU competitiveness', 'industrial jobs' and 'European factories'. The protest aims to draw authorities' attention to China's deliberate penetration of key supply chains to control the full value chain. Eurometal head Alexander Julius said China wants to be a supplier of components, not raw materials. Julius added that the European Commission must fight the 'virus' of dependence on Chinese imports rather than the consequences of its expansion.