Screenshot of the Ministry of Commerce

China and EU trade officials held a dialogue on China-EU export control mechanism meeting in Brussels, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) stated on Monday. 

Jiang Qianliang, director general of Bureau of Industry, Security, Import and Export Control of the MOFCOM and Denis Redonnet, deputy director-general and chief trade enforcement officer at the European Commission's directorate-general for trade, held an "upgraded version" of China-EU export control dialogue mechanism meeting in Brussels from October 31 to November 1, the MOFCOM said. 
 
In a post on its official website, the MOFCOM said that the two sides had in-depth and constructive exchanges of views on their respective concerns in the area of export control. During the meeting, both sides agreed to maintain communication and coordination to promote the stability and smooth operation of China-EU industrial and supply chains.

The mechanism meeting came after China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held a meeting via video link with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic on October 21, during which both sides had in-depth exchanges of views on key China-EU economic and trade issues, including export controls and the EU's anti-subsidy case on Chinese electric vehicles, according to the MOFCOM.
 
During the meeting, Wang said China is willing to work with the EU to implement the economic and trade consensus reached by Chinese and EU leaders and promote the healthy and stable development of China-EU economic and trade relations, said the ministry.

Regarding rare-earth export controls, Wang said that China's recent measures are a normal practice to improve its export control system in accordance with laws and regulations, reflecting China's responsibility as a major country in safeguarding world peace and stability. He added that China is committed to maintaining the security and stability of global supply chains and has consistently provided approval facilitation for EU companies, according to the MOFCOM.

Both sides agreed, in line with the consensus reached at the 25th China-EU Summit in Beijing in July, to hold an "upgraded version" of the China-EU export control dialogue mechanism meeting in Brussels as soon as possible, the MOFCOM's statement said.

The EU welcomed China's 12-month suspension of the relevant export controls published on 9 October 9, 2025. This is an appropriate and responsible step in the context of ensuring stable global trade flows in a critically important area. Officials from the two sides further discussed how to reduce divergences during this period of suspension, European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said in a note sent to the Global Times.

They also discussed how to maintain supply chain stability in relation to rare earths and committed to further engage on licensing facilitation measures, including general licenses. Both sides agreed on the usefulness of the Dialogue, recognizing the value of maintaining good communication around export controls, he said.

Global Times