The US tariffs threaten the massive arrival of ridiculously cheap Chinese products. Europe has a plan

First was the United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Stamer, which made clear The posture of the nation in front of the tariff war. China was more ally than enemy against the turbulence of the global market. Then It was Pedro SánchezPresident of Spain, the one that manifested in the same line. Somehow, both leaders showed that, in the commercial war, there are different interpretations In Europe, and that happens while a word next to China, which will test the regulations of the old continent: dumping.

The challenge after tariffs. For years, Europe has seen in China a formidable economic competitor, but many media such as The New York Times They have begun to slide a fear of the escalation of commercial tensions between Beijing and Washington, and how it can transform that challenge into A threat potentially destabilizing for the continent.

As? The imposition of Extraordinary tariffs On the part of Trump has raised a commercial wall that prevents Chinese exports from addressing its traditional market, which has lit alarms in Brussels due to the possibility that an avalanche of subsidized products, from electric vehicles to industrial steel, be redir massively to Europe.

With key industries such as those of France, Germany or Italy already in a vulnerable situation, the fear is that the so -called dumping (the practice of selling below the cost to eliminate local competition) intensifies until eroding the foundations of European production.

Of course, it does not have to be so, and Europe has “weapons” to avoid it.

Diplomatic balancing. One thing does seem true. The European bloc is caught between two fires: on the one hand, the pressures of American protectionism and, on the other, the need to contain the Chinese overproduction without triggering an open conflict. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has tried articulate an answer that combines firmness with pragmatism: he has promised to “closely monitor” the Chinese merchandise flowhas created a working group to detect dumping practices and has warned that Europe “cannot absorb excess global capacity.”

Her messidated position was applauded by analysts, who consider her the best way to avoid an economic disaster. However, The Times explained that the unit of the continent can begin to show cracks in the face of the magnitude of the problem. Here are the words we commented at the beginning of leaders like Sánchez or Starmer betting on a greater approach to China as a shield in the face of the turbulence of the global market, while other EU members cry out for a more energetic defense of the European industrial fabric.

Europe has a plan. The truth is that, in the face of the catastrophic image that has been warned in many media, for years the European Union has adopted a rigorous regulatory approach to contain the massive entry of Chinese products in your market. As? Through A combination of tariff measures, technical controls and non -tariff barriers that act as effective filters against dumping and unfair competition.

Among the most outstanding tools are Antidumping research carried out by the European Commission, which have resulted in more than 100 current measures against Chinese products, covering from stainless steel to electric bicycles. In addition, the Rasff system (Fast food and feed alert network) constantly monitor the entry of non -compliant products with European quality and safety standards, blocking dozens of shipments every year.

And the reach. To this is added the strict compliance with the regulation called Like Reachwhich requires any well imported good to register and evaluate its chemical substances, a firewall that prevents numerous Chinese industrial products from freely accessing the community market.

Thanks to this normative network and its ability to activate ex officio investigations, the EU not only responds to concrete threats, but can also proactively dissuade the entry of goods that They do not meet the standards Europeans, configuring a legal wall that, until now, has effectively mitigated the wave of Asian overproduction.

An asymmetric relationship. That said, and beyond the immediate context, the bottom of the problem may lies in an unbalanced commercial relationship. The Times told that Europe has accumulated a record deficit with China, one that in 2023 reached the 332,000 million dollarsfed by state subsidies that distort the market and by regulatory barriers that hinder the access of European companies to the Chinese market.

Plus: the European Commission already has classified China as a “systemic rival” And bilateral relations have cooled in recent years, especially after Beijing support to Moscow during the invasion of Ukraine. European commissioners have expressed directly Your concern During recent diplomatic visits to China, demanding more equitable conditions and voluntary restrictions on exports of subsidized goods.

Opportunistic messages and alliances. Despite these disagreements, China has intensified its Diplomatic offensive and media to present themselves as a strategic partner of Europe against chaos generated by Washington. From sponsored articles In influential media of Brussels until Official Communities That omit real tensions, Beijing tries to cultivate an image of stability and collaboration.

In parallel, he has accepted Resume negotiations With the EU around European tariffs to Chinese electric vehicles, while minimizing disagreements. Meanwhile, European spokesmen respond cautiousspeaking of “reviews” or “continuation of conversations”, without offering clear adhesion or a firm rejection. An ambiguity that reflects not only the complexity of the situation, but also, perhaps, the fragility of a common strategy within the block.

A crucial summer. So things, and with a photo that only points to A fear If we rely on European events and norms, the immediate future of European commercial policy could play a key game in the coming months. One is scheduled UE-China Summit For the second half of July, a meeting in which both blocks will try to soften friction before the impact of US tariffs is translated into an overestrial crisis in the European market.

At the moment, the EU seems to have adopted a containment strategy: to endure the pull, maintain the balance between firmness and flexibility, and prevent the continental economy from being derail before the summer. A substantive race, since what is at stake is not only a series of macroeconomic indicators, but the capacity of Europe to protect their interests without giving up or breaking their own internal cohesion.

Image | Corey Seeman

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