Tariffs, stockpiles, distrust: the EU’s messy bid to ditch China hits capacity problems

2026-03-15 - 09:06

Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states will huddle in Brussels this week to thrash out a memorandum on critical minerals with the United States. Underpinning the debate will be a tension that girds many elements of the bloc’s dealings in 2026: capacity versus trust. Envoys will negotiate in the shadow of a new trade threat from US President Donald Trump, who last week shocked Brussels with a tariff investigation linked to overcapacity and forced labour of 60 economies including China, the EU...