EU Plans Tariffs and Quotas on Chinese Chemicals, Furniture and Machinery as Early as Q1 2027

The European Union is preparing a new wave of import restrictions targeting Chinese goods, with proposals covering chemicals, furniture and machinery expected to be presented as early as the first quarter of 2027. The measures under consideration include tariffs or import caps on chemicals such as PET polymer resin, epoxy resin and glass fibres, as well as caps or outright quotas on Chinese furniture imports.

The initiative reflects a broader push by EU member states to deploy trade defence tools against what they see as surging and potentially unfair Chinese imports. European furniture manufacturers have separately petitioned the EU for limits on Chinese furniture, adding industry pressure behind the regulatory effort. The European Commission has already begun evaluating import data across additional sectors as a first step toward identifying where quotas may be warranted.

The move escalates EU-China trade tensions at a sensitive moment, extending the bloc's confrontational trade posture beyond electric vehicles and steel into a wider range of industrial and consumer goods categories.