“Where others fail to comply with common rules, we cannot and will not stand idly by,” Germany’s Merz said without mentioning China by name.
Merz signaled the EU must toughen trade measures against China, citing Germany's €90 billion deficit and ~10,000 monthly manufacturing losses. Berlin's shift signals stricter EU procurement rules for tech vendors, reshaping sourcing and supply chain decisions.
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“Where others fail to comply with common rules, we cannot and will not stand idly by,” Germany’s Merz said without mentioning China by name.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a sitting of the German Bundestag on June 11, 2026. | John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images
June 11, 2026
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