French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have called for tougher EU measures against unfair trade practices, with a new rapid response tool to combat trade threats.[8036351][8036596][8009921] The EU's existing trade defense toolbox is deemed insufficient by the leaders, who want a comprehensive framework to complement it with new legal instruments.[8036351][8009921] The proposal arrives amid rising tensions between the EU and countries such as China, with a proposed new tool to empower Brussels to exclude imports from certain countries.[8036351][8036596]