EUROMETAL President Alexander Julius joined BBC World Service’s Weekend programme on Saturday, 17 October 2026, to discuss the mounting challenges facing European industry, the EU’s trade relationship with China, and the measures needed to safeguard Europe’s industrial competitiveness.
Speaking live following the European Union Summit in Brussels, Alexander Julius addressed some of the most pressing questions surrounding the future of European manufacturing, including the growing trade imbalance with China, the EU’s evolving approach to electric vehicle imports, and the effectiveness of proposed “Made in Europe” public procurement rules.
Against the backdrop of a record trade deficit with China, the interview examined the challenges facing European manufacturers as they compete with imported products in an increasingly complex global trading environment.
For Europe’s steel distribution and processing sector, these developments are particularly significant. Steel distributors, service centres and traders operate at the heart of European industrial supply chains, connecting steel production with manufacturers across sectors such as automotive, construction, machinery and engineering.
Maintaining a competitive European industrial base is therefore essential not only for steel producers but also for the thousands of companies that depend on reliable, competitive and sustainable steel supply chains.
These questions reflect a broader challenge for European policymakers: how to preserve open and competitive markets while ensuring that European companies can compete on fair terms with products manufactured outside the EU.
For EUROMETAL, the competitiveness of the entire industrial value chain remains a central priority. Trade and industrial policies must consider their impact not only on upstream steel production but also on downstream manufacturers, processors, distributors and steel-consuming industries.
Watch the full BBC World Service interview below:
