Tyres Europe has joined a broad coalition of European industry associations in calling for more ambition in the EU’s trade defence policy.

The joint statement highlights the growing pressure on European industries from unfair trade practices, structural overcapacity, and state-induced distortions in global markets. These practices create an unlevel playing field for European manufacturers, who operate under high energy costs, ambitious environmental standards and complex regulatory requirements.

The signatories stress that European industry is not asking to be shielded from competition but is asking for fair competition. A stronger global level playing field is essential to safeguard Europe’s industrial backbone, support competitiveness and ensure that EU companies can continue investing, producing and creating jobs in Europe.

As an immediate priority, the statement calls on the European Commission to allocate sufficient staff to DG Trade’s units conducting trade defence investigations. DG Trade’s trade defence services are severely understaffed, both in absolute terms and compared with the EU’s main international partners. Reinforcing these services is a key short-term action to strengthen the EU’s capacity to respond to global trade distortions.

Read the full joint industry statement below.