The growing trade war between the European Union and China may take a new turn. The EU is considering the possibility of using an international procurement mechanism as a response to unfair competition from Beijing. The EU is checking whether China discriminates against European companies in the allocation of government contracts for medical equipment. If these suspicions are confirmed, the EU may retaliate by restricting Chinese companies' access to public tenders in Europe. European officials emphasize that such a policy complies with WTO requirements. In early July, the European Commission imposed temporary duties on Chinese electric vehicles, which led to an escalation of the trade war between the EU and China. Duties ranging from 17.4 to 38.1% were introduced in connection with accusations of "unfair" subsidies to Chinese manufacturers, which, according to the EU, threatens the development of electric vehicle production in Europe. China denies the accusations and in response is conducting an anti–dumping investigation against European pork supplies, a major import item from Europe. The decision of the European Commission was not supported by a number of EU countries fearing an escalation of the conflict, among them Germany, Sweden, Norway and Hungary.
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