EU needs a ‘dedicated instrument’ to unwind China dependencies, trade chief says

The EU’s trade chief has confirmed publicly for the first time that the bloc is considering a specific rule to compel companies to diversify their suppliers, as Europe looks to unwind its dependencies on China.“Diversification now requires a dedicated instrument,” Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Friday, adding that he would model it on the manner in which the EU reduced its reliance on Russian energy following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.“Recent industrial cases, in particular supplies of chips and rare earths, have reinforced my conviction that a step change is necessary. We understand the urgency for critical minerals, but every high-risk sector must be weaned off single-supplier dependence,” Sefcovic said, in a speech at the Brussels Economic Security Forum.