Industry Group Warns of 300,000 EU Factory Job Losses Amid Rising Chinese Competition

A leading European industry trade body has warned that job losses in the European Union's manufacturing sector could rise rapidly unless Brussels takes action to curb what it describes as the "colonisation" of industry by Chinese component manufacturers.

According to the Guardian, Eurometal predicts that 300,000 manufacturing jobs could be lost across the EU in the remainder of 2026 due to expanding competition from China. The trade body cited China's growing trade surplus with the bloc, which it said has reached a record €1bn a day.

The warning coincides with a planned protest in Brussels, in which organizers intend to use 10 coffins as a symbol of what they describe as a struggling manufacturing industry, according to the report.

The Guardian's report did not provide additional detail on the specific policy measures being sought from EU officials, nor did it include a response from the European Commission or Chinese authorities regarding the claims made by Eurometal.