Von der Leyen SOTEU: EU trade power strong, but China dependence and market fragmentation remain

In her State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen touted the EU's trade strength while acknowledging persistent dependencies on China and internal market fragmentation. The speech signals a continued push for strategic autonomy and de-risking, though concrete policy measures remain unspecified. This matters as it frames the EU's trade and industrial agenda ahead of upcoming negotiations and regulatory actions.