Overview
- In an interview with Les Echos after his state visit to Beijing, Emmanuel Macron said the EU may take "strong measures" in the coming months, including tariffs, if China does not act to cut its surplus.
- He said he discussed the issue with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and noted that securing a common EU line remains difficult with Germany not yet aligned.
- The EU’s goods trade deficit with China exceeded €300 billion in 2024, underscoring the scale of the imbalance Macron wants addressed.
- Macron argued that U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, reduced from about 57% to 47% under an October deal, are diverting Chinese exports toward European markets.
- To rebalance, he urged welcoming targeted Chinese investment in Europe across sectors such as batteries, lithium refining, wind, solar, electric vehicles, heat pumps, consumer electronics, recycling technologies, industrial robotics and advanced components, with safeguards against predatory practices alongside protections for vulnerable sectors and a renewed competitiveness agenda.