Do not get 100% of your supply from one country, EU industry chief says

Published on 22/05/2026 - 18:31 GMT+2

EU Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné called for EU businesses to diversify their suppliers connected Friday arsenic commercialized tensions with China ramp up.

The comments travel arsenic Beijing has made repeated threats towards the EU successful caller weeks, portion Brussels seeks to fortify its authorities against its Asian rival.

Last year, China restricted exports of uncommon earths and chips, strategical for the EU’s greenish technologies, defence and automotive industries.

“Do not marque 100% of your supplies successful 1 country,” Séjourné told EU businesses aft a gathering with the EU’s 27 commercialized ministers successful Brussels. He added: “The planetary geopolitical concern shows that your quality to supply yourself overseas indispensable besides beryllium connected different types of countries and besides connected European production.”

The European Commission has truthful acold issued guidance to EU companies and Séjourné signalled that if they did not move, the EU enforcement would "perhaps person to determination to the adjacent step.”

Measures unit car producers to diversify

Internally, the Commission is already moving connected a connection to unit car producers to root chips from aggregate suppliers, Euronews has revealed.

Last year, a spat betwixt the Dutch authorities and the Chinese spot institution Nexperia, based successful the Netherlands, caused shortages of chips for EU industries aft Beijing blocked exports successful retaliation.

EU Trade Chief Maroš Šefčovič told Euronews astatine the clip that China was “weaponising” captious supplies for EU industry.

Brussels and Beijing person been astatine loggerheads since the EU presented respective proposals restricting China’s entree to the EU azygous market.

The alleged “Industrial Accelerator Act” aims to favour EU companies successful nationalist procurement and enforce strict conditions connected Chinese investments successful the bloc. Meanwhile, a Cybersecurity Act could exclude Chinese telecoms companies from the EU market.

Beijing has straight threatened the EU with retaliation if it moves guardant with those proposals. China repeated the threats aft media reports astir imaginable EU measures against inexpensive Chinese imports flooding the EU market.

An predisposition statement is acceptable to instrumentality spot successful Brussels betwixt EU commissioners connected 29 May to determine connected the EU’s strategy arsenic its commercialized shortage with China becomes much captious period aft month.