- cross-posted to:
- world@quokk.au
- europe@lemmy.dbzer0.com
- economy@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- world@quokk.au
- europe@lemmy.dbzer0.com
- economy@lemmy.world
…
Brussels has been examining ways to shield European industry from what many manufacturers say is the negative fallout from China’s industrial overcapacity and subsidised exports.
Stefania Pigozzi, head of economic studies at Italian machine tool industry association UCIMU, said Chinese manufacturers had largely satisfied domestic demand and are now rapidly expanding overseas.
UCIMU said it wants imported machinery to be subject to the same technical and safety standards required of European manufacturers in order to level the playing field.
“Europe needs common rules that apply to everyone,” Pigozzi told Reuters. “Machinery safety standards, for example, have a direct impact on production costs and ultimately on the final price of a product.”
For most Italian companies, meanwhile, moving production to China to compete against Chinese manufacturers on equal terms is not an option, she added.
UCIMU represents about 250 producers of machine tools, robots, automation systems and components with combined revenue of roughly €8 billion ($9.1 billion) and employing some 30,000 workers.
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According to data compiled by UCIMU from national industry associations and Italy’s trade agency ICE, China’s share of global metalworking machine tool exports rose to 23% in 2025 from 8% in 2016, while Europe’s fell to 46% from 52% during the same period.
Italy, the world’s fourth-largest machine tool exporter, also lost ground over the period. Its share of global exports slipped to 7.8% in 2025 from 8.4% in 2016, while Italian exports to China plunged to €110 million from €316 million.
The concerns of Italian manufacturers echo a broader debate within the EU.
…
Earlier this year Italy joined France, Spain and two other countries in calling on Brussels to strengthen trade defence tools to protect European industry from unfair competition.
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why exactly is that not the case already?
do we not like to have local industry?
As far as I can see, it is. The regulation itself, as well as all articles about it I can find, mention that imported machinery is subject to the exact same standards.
Keep in mind that the article is about what some Italian lobby says. I’d take anything they say with a grain of salt. Chances are they’re just afraid of going out of business due to perfectly fair competition.
Sources:
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02023R1230-20260529 (the actual regulation)
- https://www.ynypm.com/news/policy-regulation/rade-regulations/EU-s-Revised-Machinery-Regulation--Key-Impacts-and-Industry-Response.html
- https://www.tuvsud.com/en/industries/manufacturing/machinery-safety
No, it apparently isn’t. We also see that with consumer products sold via Temu, Shein, AliExpress.
It is. It is just not enforced. The scale at which consumers import products in Europe is such, that no government agency can ever check these products.
Temu, Shein, and AliExpress do not sell industrial machinery. The closest items available there are tiny excavators. I don’t know what kind of quality you can expect, but perhaps this should be looked into as well.
Can you provide a source for the claim of machines from China not meeting EU safety standards?
Very weird, what’s the point with EU standards if you can just choose to ignore them?
Law has to be enforced, and that’s difficult. By the time something is investigated the money is long gone
Sounds reasonable. But do Europeans have the money to buy cars at higher prices, I wonder. With salaries stagnant and our purchasing power slowly eroded year after year the Chinese carved a market that European manufacturers all but abandoned.
do Europeans have the money to buy cars at higher prices
Yes. Reindustrialization will also offer more jobs.
That aside, there is no reason to buy cheap things made by forced labour elsewhere.
Aren’t these machinery safety standards required for receiving the CE marking? This way the same rules apply for domestic and imported machinery. I’m not sure if the conformity declaration for machinery can be done by the supplier itself. If yes, that’s of course a way to cheat, however then the importer will be liable.
I think the only thing required to have the CE marking is to put it on your product. It is only a manufacturer affirmation, not a product test like UL. Misuse doesn’t seem to be prosecuted very vigorously.
Yes, CE also applies to machines. However CE is not a certification, it is self assigned.
This works well in most cases because companies risk financial consequences or even prosecution if they bring a product on the market that doesn’t comply with various rules related to functionality, safety, chemicals, electromagnetic behavior and so on. These are all written down in standards that can be used to comply with lawful regulations and directives.
For products imported from outside of the EU the same rules apply. The importer or representative in Europe can be prosecuted. However governments almost never check products proactively which causes a lot of shit to enter the market. So what really needs to happen is to enforce the rules.
