Macron says EU may impose tariffs on China over widening trade gap
Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron (Getty Images)
French President Emmanuel Macron said the EU may be forced to take "strong measures" against China, including tariffs, if Beijing fails to address its trade deficit with the bloc, reports Bloomberg.
"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 anymore," Macron told Les Echos.
He said the EU could be compelled in the coming months to take "strong measures and decouple, like the US," if China does not respond.
"For example, tariffs on Chinese products," he said, adding that he discussed the matter with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Macron argued that the US approach to China is "inappropriate" and has weakened Europe's position by redirecting Chinese goods to the EU market.
"Today, we're stuck between the two, and it's a question of life or death for European industry," he said, adding that Germany does not fully share France's stance.
He also said Europe must improve its competitiveness and that the European Central Bank should help reinforce the EU single market. Monetary policy, he argued, should consider growth and employment, not only inflation.
Macron warned that the ECB's decision to keep selling its government bond holdings risks pushing long-term interest rates higher and pressuring economic activity.
"Europe must, and wants to, remain a zone of monetary stability and credible investment," he said.
Macron's visit to China and rising tensions
Bloomberg reported that Macron had just returned from a three-day state visit to China, where he pushed for increased investment as Paris seeks to recalibrate its ties with the world's second-largest economy.
According to the French treasury, France's goods trade deficit with China reached about €47 billion ($54.7 billion) in 2024.
China's goods trade surplus with the EU climbed to nearly $143 billion in the first half of 2025, a record for any half-year period, according to Chinese data.
Bloomberg said tensions between France and China intensified last year after Paris backed the EU's move to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Beijing responded by setting minimum prices for French cognac, raising concerns among pork and dairy producers that they could be targeted next.
Notably, Bloomberg previously reported that Germany and France support holding discussions on trade policy toward China at the upcoming European Union summit.
