This episode contains segments on:
- China’s October Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI);
- EU imposed definitive anti-dumping duties on PET spunbond from China;
- EU announced a safeguard investigation into imports of certain new hybrid passenger vehicles from the rest of the world;
- Public consultation on five draft domestic product standards for government procurement
- The European Chamber’s EU Tour
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Read more:
China’s October Purchasing Manager’s Indices (PMIs) https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202610/t20261031_1965718.html
https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/sjjd/202610/t20261031_1965719.html
The European Commission imposed definitive anti-dumping duties on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Spunbond from China
The European Commission announced a safeguard investigation into imports of certain new hybrid passenger vehicles from the rest of the world
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C_202605780
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Ministry of Finance’s joint announcement on calling for comments on the proposed requirements on the proportion of domestic content for certain products in terms of government procurement
European Chamber 2026 EU Tour
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/nzBdWQMxUPtuHLQS9RKTkg
Transcript:
RUI: Hello and welcome to China ShortCuts,
XINHE: the European Chamber’s weekly catchup on China’s business landscape.
RUI: This episode was recorded on 4th November 2026.
(MUSIC)
RUI: Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on 31st October showed that manufacturing activity in China fell sharply in October amid weakened demand.
XINHE: The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index, or PMI, dropped to 49.3 points – well below the 50-point mark separating growth from contraction. This was the lowest reading since July and marked the third contraction in China’s manufacturing sector activity in four months. Out of the five key subindices of the PMI, four were in contraction territory, with production and new orders registering the sharpest falls, dragging overall activity down. Huo Lihui, a chief statistician with the statistics bureau, attributed the slowdown to “both the early release of some demand ahead of the National Day holiday and an increasingly complex international environment”.
RUI: The official non-manufacturing PMI, which reflects construction and services activity, stood at 49.7 points in October, down from 50.2 points in September, back to contraction territory after a single month of expansion. Activity in both services and construction decreased compared to September, registering 50 points and 48 points respectively. At the same time, services activity grew at a fast pace in areas related to travel and leisure, boosted by consumption during the national holiday at the beginning of the month, with readings for railway transportation, accommodation, and culture, sports and entertainment, all in expansion territory in October.
(MUSIC)
RUI: On 30th October, the European Commission imposed anti-dumping duties on imports into the EU from China of PET Spunbond – a type of polyester fabric typically used for waterproofing.
XINHE: In May this year, the European Commission had launched an anti-dumping probe into the Chinese imports of this product and imposed provisional anti-dumping duties ranging from 45.6 per cent to 50 per cent. In October, the Commission said that the investigation found that the said imports from China were entering the EU at dumped prices, causing injury to EU industry. The definitive anti-dumping duties put in place as a result range from 39.8 per cent to 48.1 per cent, and will remain in place for five years.
RUI: The Commission specified that the EU market for this product is worth 200 million euros, with domestic capacity present in Germany, Italy and France.
(MUSIC)
RUI: On 30th October, the European Commission announced a safeguard investigation into imports of certain new hybrid passenger vehicles from the rest of the world.
XINHE: According to the official readout, total imports of the product concerned surged 49 per cent from 2023 to mid-2026 to 1.4 million units. The Commission said that the volume of these imports has had a negative impact on the market share of European producers and is threatening to cause significant impairment to European industry.
RUI: According to Eurostat, main partners for imports of hybrid and electric cars are China, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom, which together accounted for 73 per cent of total EU imports in 2025. China alone accounted for 26 per cent of the total. However, prior to this, on 9th October, the EU and China had reached an agreement under the EU-China Trade and Investment Consultation mechanism to halve Chinese exports of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles to the EU.
(MUSIC)
RUI: On 30th October, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and Ministry of Finance published an announcement, calling for comments on the proposed requirements on the proportion of domestic content for certain products in government procurement.
The announcement includes products of five categories: three types of high-precision process tools, as well as certain types of industrial robots and helicopters.
XINHE: According to the proposal, the cost of components produced in China for the product must account for a certain percentage, ranging from 50 per cent to 70 per cent, depending on the category. The requirement would be implemented with a grace period of five years. The Chamber is in the process of collecting feedback from its member companies to submit to MOFCOM, and will be monitoring related developments closely.
(MUSIC)
RUI: The European Chamber’s EU tour 2026 concluded on 30th October, with a delegation of 21 led by the president and composed of vice presidents, board members, overseas representatives, senior working group representatives and secretariat.
XINHE: During the week-long tour, 62 meetings and events were held, including meetings with: Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition; Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, and European Commissioner for Implementation and Simplification; and other officials from the cabinets of senior representatives and commissioners, Economic and Foreign Policy Advisors to European Council, and Chinese Ambassador to the EU.
RUI: Throughout these engagements, delegates shared the Chamber’s key messaging and presented the recently published European Business in China Position Paper 2026/2027.
(MUSIC)
XINHE: Thanks for listening, and don’t forget to tune in again next week.
RUI: In the meantime, please find useful links in the episode notes.