NEW: SHEIN is on a seduction campaign in Europe. The fashion giant is meeting regulators to stop concerns over dumping practices, forced labor and environmental pollution from crippling its ascent. Written with Clothilde Goujard Antonia Zimmermann @zimmerfrau.bsky.social politico.eu/article/china-…

Is Brexit Britain about to turn into Switzerland without the fondue? with Antonia Zimmermann @zimmerfrau.bsky.social politico.eu/article/brexit…

As holidays begins for many, here’s another excellent news digest by International Raw Materials Observatory. I highly recommend Antonia Zimmermann @zimmerfrau.bsky.social's article on the EU trade agreement with Rwanda and The Economist's piece on China's stockpiling efforts. Enjoy these reads and the summer break!

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s has succeeded in locking down a deal to supply the EU with lithium. But, in so doing, he has reawakened a mass movement against a big mining project blessed by both Brussels and Berlin. w/ Una Hajdari Stuart Lau politico.eu/article/serbia…

🫶

In Vucic’s Serbia, the gov’t has a knack for putting a positive spin on all its decisions. Now, for the first time, Vucic is struggling to sell a project to the public — and it just happens to be one that the West really wants. W/ Antonia Zimmermann @zimmerfrau.bsky.social Stuart Lau politico.eu/article/serbia…

I typically don’t respond to baseless attacks on my reporting. But this, coming from a key ally of the Serbian president and laden with both racist language and false claims about my motivations, only proves that criticizing the ruling party in Serbia has *never* been easy.

In a major win for its boss Elon Musk, Tesla will secure a lower, individual duty on the electric vehicles it makes in China and ships to the European Union, people close to the file told POLITICO. Rate & deets (€) 👇 With Antonia Zimmermann @zimmerfrau.bsky.social Jordyn Dahl pro.politico.eu/news/184642

Billionaire Elon Musk scored a win in his tempestuous relationship with Brussels on Tuesday, securing a lower, individual duty on the cars his company Tesla makes in China and sells to the European Union. w/Jordyn Dahl Camille Gijs politico.eu/article/tesla-…

China has hit back at Europe's electric vehicle tariffs with a probe into EU dairy imports. trib.al/VuBa1r4

With Serbia striking a lithium deal with the EU, it's time we paid more attention to the country - and the entire region. Met Serbian Minister for EU integration Tanja Miščević in Belgrade. Here's a snippet from today's Playbook. politico.eu/newsletter/bru… Ministarstvo za EI

I went to Iceland for a road trip and all I got was this lousy climate anxiety. by Antonia Zimmermann @zimmerfrau.bsky.social politico.eu/article/icelan…

This summer, I drove around Iceland — and came away with climate anxiety. politico.eu/article/icelan…

"It was my fascination for [Iceland's] otherworldly landscape and natural wonders that attracted me here this August," writes Antonia Zimmermann @zimmerfrau.bsky.social. "Yet as the tourism sector booms, it’s precisely that nature that is undergoing irreversible change." 🔗 trib.al/y5U8uJD

That includes a deal on — you guessed it — the sale of critical raw minerals such as lithium.

Scoop: The Commission has received 5 pledges from Chinese industry to set minimum prices or volume caps on exports of EVs to avoid EU duties, so-called "undertakings." SAIC, BYD and CCCME: 1 each Geely: 2 Tesla didn't introduce any With Antonia Zimmermann @zimmerfrau.bsky.social politico.eu/article/china-…

"For the AfD, it is all part of a larger strategy: Begin by winning in municipalities and state parliaments across the east. That dominance, the thinking goes, will normalize the party despite its extremism" Re-upping this great story Nette Nöstlinger politico.eu/article/far-ri…

As negotiators for the EU-Mercosur mega-deal meet for yet another round of negotiations, Camille Gijs and I sat down with Brazil's ambassador to the EU, Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva. More for Pros (€) 👇 pro.politico.eu/news/185236

Always nice to see your work in print, especially if mastermind Max Fahler is behind the layout ✨ Story: politico.eu/article/icelan…