Key Points
- President Macron warned China that the EU may impose tariffs if the trade imbalance isn’t fixed.
- He argues China’s massive trade surplus is “unsustainable” and hurts its European customers.
- The EU’s trade deficit with China reached a record $143 billion over the past six months.
- The warning comes amid existing trade tensions over Chinese EVs and French cognac.
French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a stark warning to China, saying the European Union may be forced to impose tariffs if Beijing doesn’t address its massive and growing trade surplus with the bloc.
In an interview published Sunday after his return from a state visit to China, Macron said the current situation is not sustainable. “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,” he stated.
Macron made it clear that Europe’s patience is wearing thin. “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 warned. He added that he has already discussed this possibility with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The trade numbers highlight the problem. China’s trade surplus with the EU hit a record $143 billion in the first half of 2025 alone. For France, the goods trade deficit with China was about €47 billion last year.
Tensions are already high. Last year, the EU imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, which prompted Beijing to retaliate against French cognac.
Macron described the situation as a “question of life or death for European industry,” arguing that Europe is getting squeezed between the U.S. and China. He also criticized the U.S. approach, saying it has only worsened Europe’s position by diverting more Chinese goods to its market.
