Chinese Export Controls Pushing EU Companies to Move Sourcing Elsewhere, Says Industry Body

Many businesses said in a survey that export control measures affect China’s reliability as an export hub.

Cranes and cargo ships at a terminal of the Yantian port in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, on Oct. 30, 2025. Tingshu Wang/Reuters

Beijing’s export controls are forcing businesses in Europe to move sourcing away from China, according to a survey conducted by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and published on Dec. 1.

The lobby group published the results of a flash survey completed by 131 of its members, in which 75 companies (57 percent) said they expected to be, or had been, impacted by Chinese export controls. Of those, more than one in three (36 percent) said they plan to work with suppliers to develop capacity outside  China.