Tariff talks between China and the EU are unlikely to progress before US president-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January, Spain’s ambassador to Beijing suggested, as she called for improved trade relations with the bloc.
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Speaking at Renmin University on Tuesday, Marta Betanzos Roig said that both China and the European Union had put forward tariffs bilaterally but “this is not the last word”.
“I believe that no outcome is to be reached until we see [president-elect] Trump in office,” she said. “We are all waiting to see what is going to be the implementation of all the announcements that he has made concerning tariffs.”
Roig made the remarks during a reflection on the diplomatic relationship between Spain and China, ahead of next year’s 20th anniversary of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.
Trump has already promised massive tariff increases on several countries, including China, and warned the EU member states that they will “pay a big price” if they do not buy enough American products.
Some analysts have suggested that Trump might push the EU to adopt a harder stance on Beijing, while others believe that he could impose tariffs on the bloc, a move that could bring Brussels and Beijing closer together.
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Roig said China-EU discussions were “officially still ongoing”, with proposals on the table regarding ceilings and prices and the level of tariffs on goods moving between the Asian giant and the European bloc.
Since the end of October, the EU has been imposing tariffs of up to 45 per cent on electric vehicles from China in a bid to level the playing field for its local manufacturers.