""I'm trying to explain to the Chinese that their trade surplus isn't sustainable because they're killing their own clients, notably by importing hardly anything from us any more," Macron told Les Echos newspaper in an interview published on Sunday."
""If they don't react, in the coming months we Europeans will be obliged to take strong measures and decouple, like the US, like for example tariffs on Chinese products," he said, adding that he had discussed the matter with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen."
""Today, we're stuck between the two, and it's a question of life or death for European industry," Macron said, while noting that Germany - Europe's biggest economy - doesn't entirely share France's stance."
The European Union faces a widening trade imbalance with China that may prompt strong measures, including tariffs and partial decoupling, if Beijing does not reduce its surplus. China's goods trade surplus with the EU reached almost $143 billion in the first half of 2025, while France's goods trade deficit with China was around €47 billion last year. Relations have strained after the EU imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and China retaliated with minimum price requirements on French cognac. The U.S. approach to China has rerouted goods toward the EU, increasing pressure on European industry; Germany does not fully share France's position.
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]