EU urged to place export restrictions on China – Bloomberg

US officials are discussing with European allies the possibility of tightening export restrictions in trade with China, according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter.

The White House is urging the EU to apply the approach now being used against Russia, to China, with the same use of trans-Atlantic information sharing and enforcement coordination, according to the sources who asked to remain anonymous. 

This comes as US and EU officials negotiate the agenda for their next high-level trade forum, scheduled for early December. 

Brussels is reportedly not inclined to treat China the same way as Russia, the sources said, adding that EU officials view the circumstances as different. 

Several EU member states are reportedly wary of Washington’s efforts to turn the December forum into an anti-China gathering, and instead prefer to focus on a positive bilateral agenda. However, there may be room to look at goods that could be used by Beijing to boost its military capability, the sources added.

It is still unclear if the topic will come up when US Trade Representative Katherine Tai meets EU trade ministers, who are in Prague for an informal meeting, on Monday.

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