EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic will meet China's commerce minister Wang Wentao in Brussels on 29-30 June as the bloc pushes to reduce Beijing's growing trade surplus, reports Brussels EUobserver.

The meetings follow a week of preliminary exchanges between officials and are intended to deliver 'concrete outcomes,' Mr. Sefcovic said after talks with Chinese envoy Li Chenggang in Paris. He stressed the need for detailed discussions on how to address the deficit and boost EU exports to China, noting that Europe sells less to China than to Switzerland.

The EU's trade deficit with China reached EUR360 billion (US$414 billion) last year and widened further in the first quarter of 2026. Officials acknowledge that tariffs have failed to curb the imbalance.

In 2024, the EU imposed duties of 17 to 37 percent on Chinese electric vehicles, accusing Beijing of unfair subsidies. Despite this, Chinese car exports to Europe rose 26 percent between 2024 and 2025 to nearly 1.2 million vehicles.

The Brussels meetings will be followed by further summits in Europe, but officials caution that there is no guarantee of a breakthrough.