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European Commission turns up heat on China over excess steel

Jean-Claude Juncker says solution urgent and Beijing must act responsibly

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The EU says China has made no progress on addressing steel overcapacity. Photo: Reuters
Wendy Wuin Beijing

The European Commission president pressured China to address its steel overcapacity while attending the G20 summit.

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Jean-Claude Juncker said at a press conference in Hangzhou on Sunday that the summit “must urgently find a solution to the problems facing the steel industry”.

He added that China needed to take responsibility in keeping with its rising economic power.

The European Union’s discontent with the flood of cheap Chinese manufactured goods, especially steel and aluminium, has cast a shadow over Sino-EU ties and whether China can obtain market-economy status in Europe by the end of the year.

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The G20 trade ministers meeting in Shanghai in July agreed to take effective measures against overcapacity and to improve communication on the issue.

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