Because demand for coffins is relatively predictable and closely linked to mortality, he argues, significant discrepancies could indicate that some imports are not being properly recorded.

The coalition is concerned that such shipments could escape accurate recording in import statistics, obscuring the true extent of Chinese competition.

This has led to a hypothesis that manufacturers have dubbed the “IKEA loophole,” by which some Chinese coffins arrive in Europe flat-packed, with their components declared to customs as wooden parts rather than finished funeral products. Once inside the EU, the pieces are assembled and sold as coffins, the theory goes.

The Commission confirmed that unassembled goods can still be classified as finished products under international customs rules, provided they retain the essential characteristics of the completed item. That means a flat-packed coffin cannot necessarily be treated simply as wooden components for customs purposes.

The industry has also raised a second hypothetical loophole: coffins being imported as packaging for other merchandise, rather than declared as commercial products in their own right.

A widening trade battle

The coffin-makers’ campaign reflects a broader shift in Europe’s trade disputes with China, as complaints about low-cost competition spread beyond strategic sectors such as electric vehicles, steel and chemicals to more traditional manufactured goods.