The European Union has surpassed the United States as the economy with the most serious trade disputes with China, driven by conflicts over semiconductor materials, rare earth magnets and other strategic sectors, according to a Chinese trade body. The bloc scored first on the trade friction index, mainly caused by anti-subsidy and anti-dumping probes. Readings were elevated in semiconductor materials, rare earth magnets and liquid-crystal display products, the survey by the Ministry of Commerce-affiliated trade body showed. Advertisement“Unreasonable and discriminatory measures targeting Chinese companies by the EU have indeed increased,” CCPIT spokesperson Wang Wenshuai said on Wednesday. Beijing had earlier introduced strict licensing requirements on rare earth exports – widely seen as a response to US tariffs – complicating access for European manufacturers.