EU, China launch trade talks to rebalance market access

BRUSSELS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 29th Jun, 2026) The EU and China have held the first ministerial-level Trade and Investment Consultations in Brussels, agreeing to work on trade and investment balancing, export controls, intellectual property rights and WTO reform, while setting up a joint monitoring mechanism to improve transparency, track trade flows and address market access concerns.

Maros Šefčovič, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security and Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, and Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, held the first meeting of the EU-China Trade and Investment Consultations (TIC) in Brussels.

The EU and China as key trade partners, agree that the main objective of the TIC is to strengthen dialogue at ministerial level on trade and investment policies with the view to stabilise and make our bilateral relationship more balanced.

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During the first meeting of the TIC, the EU and noted the importance of addressing the challenges affecting the bilateral trade relationship and agreed to seek practical solutions. Four initial workstreams under the TIC were identified:

During the meeting, they also agreed to establish a joint monitoring mechanism to exchange relevant data, monitor trade flows and support technical work with a view to improving transparency, enhancing mutual trust and managing trade frictions.

Both sides also agreed that increased market access measures and initiatives can contribute to the balancing of the trade relationship. Their discussion focussed on possible tariff or non-tariff initiatives to that effect, exchanged lists of market access issues and agreed to continue consultations within the trade and investment balancing work stream with a view to making progress on specific concerns.