Eurometal forecasts 300,000 industrial job cuts in the EU
In Brussels, Belgium, industry association Eurometal plans to hold a protest outside the European Commission headquarters on Monday. As The Guardian reports, the organization forecasts that EU industry could lose 300,000 jobs during the remainder of 2026 due to increased competition from China and growing supplies of Chinese components.
Protest outside the European Commission
Eurometal intends to carry ten symbolic coffins around the European Commission headquarters. They are planned to bear the inscriptions “EU competitiveness,” “industrial jobs,” and “European factories.”
Eurometal President Alexander Julius said that China seeks to occupy key positions in manufacturing supply chains. According to him, the European Commission should more fully assess the impact of Chinese exports of components, including metals and chemicals used in 90% of industrial production.
Julius also claims that European metal producers find it difficult to compete because of tariffs on steel imports and carbon emissions taxes. In his view, Chinese components are not subject to such charges, while competition is further complicated by what the association estimates is an undervalued yuan exchange rate.
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Trade tensions with China
China has a record trade surplus in trade with the EU — about €1 billion a day. European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič previously called the annual €360 billion trade imbalance between the EU and China unsustainable.
The EU imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in 2024 and raised tariffs on foreign steel imports in June. Brussels and Beijing agreed to hold three-month talks, due to end in October, to avoid a trade war. China had previously accused Europe of protectionism and said that retaliatory measures were possible.
An analysis by the European Commission released in June projected a potential loss of more than 1 million jobs due to high energy prices and global competition. According to the publication, this estimate includes 100,000 job cuts at Volkswagen, confirmed by the German automaker last week.
