--- title: "Eurometal warns: EU risks losing 300,000 industrial jobs because of China" description: "Eurometal warned that the EU risks losing around 300,000 industrial jobs by the end of the year due to intensifying Chinese competition and growing dependence on Chinese components." date: 2026-09-07T01:02:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/eurometal-eu-risks-300000-industrial-jobs-china tags: [eu-china-trade, eurometal, industrial-jobs, trade-imbalance, volkswagen] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Eurometal warns: EU risks losing 300,000 industrial jobs because of China ![Chinese flag in front of a modern European industrial building — a symbol of competition threatening EU jobs](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/07/eurometal-es-300-tysyach-rabochih-mest-kitay/eurometal-es-300-tysyach-rabochih-mest-kitay-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Eurometal estimates the risk of losing around 300,000 industrial jobs in the EU by the end of the year due to Chinese competition. - According to the association, Chinese components are essential for roughly 90% of European industrial production. - The EU's trade imbalance with China has reached around €360 billion per year; a protest action featuring ten symbolic coffins is planned in Brussels. European industry is under growing pressure from Chinese manufacturers, and, according to the industry association Eurometal, without a change in the EU's current trade policy the bloc could lose around 300,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector by the end of the year. The warning came against a backdrop of rising dependence of European firms on Chinese components and finished products, which are increasingly displacing local offerings on the market. ### “Colonization” of European supply chains Eurometal argues that Chinese companies are gradually tightening their grip on supply chains, exporting both finished goods and the components without which European industry cannot function. According to the association, these components are essential for roughly 90% of industrial production in the EU. Eurometal President Alexander Julius described Chinese industrial expansion as a de facto “colonization” of European supply chains, stressing that without countermeasures, job cuts in the sector could snowball. ### A trade imbalance of 360 billion euros The association cites the cost gap as the key factor behind the uneven competitive playing field: Chinese firms operate at lower costs, in particular due to the absence of tariffs and carbon payments comparable to those in Europe. The scale of the problem is underscored by the trade imbalance: Eurometal estimates it has already reached around €360 billion per year, while, according to The Guardian, China is recording a record trade surplus with the EU of roughly €1 billion per day. At the same time, China is ramping up exports of goods used in the production of metals, chemicals and other products. ### Protest in Brussels and symbolic coffins Against this backdrop of mounting pressure, representatives of European industry plan to stage a protest action in Brussels. The event will feature ten symbolic coffins intended to vividly demonstrate the threat to European manufacturing and jobs. Organizers believe that previous targeted measures — including the tariffs already imposed on electric vehicles and steel — are insufficient to address the systemic problem, and they are calling on Brussels to act faster while industry still retains its competitiveness. ### Talks and a wave of layoffs: the Volkswagen example The EU and China are currently negotiating over trade imbalances, but European manufacturers are insisting on more decisive and swift action. A further signal of the crisis's scale was Volkswagen's decision to cut around 100,000 jobs by 2030: the company directly links the restructuring to intensifying competition from Chinese carmakers. In the broader context, analysts also note that China continues to trade actively with Russia, including supplying components and materials used in the production of drones, which adds to the overall pressure on Europe's industrial and defense ecosystem. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Europe could lose 300,000 jobs because of China](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/evropa-mozhe-vtratitii-300-tisyach-robochih-1788742572.html) - Подтверждает оценку Eurometal о риске потери ~300 тыс. рабочих мест и рост зависимости от китайских компонентов. - [Eurometal warns of risk of EU losing 300,000 jobs because of China](https://news.mail.ru/economics/72260951/) - Совпадает по цифрам и цитатам ассоциации; подтверждает контекст торговой конкуренции. - [EU could cut 300,000 industrial jobs due to competition with China](https://unn.ua/ru/news/v-yes-mogut-sokratit-300-tisyach-rabochikh-mest-v-promishlennosti-iz-za-konkurentsii-s-kitaem) - Подтверждает промышленный характер сокращений и причину — конкуренция с КНР. - [EU could lose 300,000 jobs amid competition with China](https://1news.az/news/20260907000515122-V-ES-mogut-lishitsya-300-tys-rabochikh-mest-na-fone-konkurentsii-s-Kitaem) - Независимое подтверждение той же оценки и хронологии (07.09.2026). ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How many jobs does the EU risk losing according to Eurometal? **A:** According to the association, around 300,000 industrial jobs by the end of the year if the current trade policy is not changed. ### Q: Why do Chinese manufacturers have an advantage? **A:** Eurometal points to the lower costs of Chinese companies, in particular due to the absence of tariffs and carbon payments comparable to those in Europe. ### Q: What measures has the EU already taken, and are they sufficient? **A:** The EU has imposed tariffs on electric vehicles and steel, but Eurometal considers these steps insufficient and is calling on Brussels to act faster.