The US risks pushing European allies into China’s arms with new tariffs, experts warn
Rachel Campos-Duffy, co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” talks about an interview with President Donald Trump on “Varney & Co.”
The US is at risk of encouraging allies to strengthen relations with China within its president Donald Trump’s New Wave Strict tariffsAccording to experts.
The Trump administration announced on April 9 that it would reduce mutual tariffs in other countries for 90 days, but it would soon raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%. China has tried to raise tariffs on US goods to 125%.
Michael Strain, director of economic policy research at a think tank at the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington, says that European leaders will be approaching China, which could be considered a more reliable trading partner.
“President Trump’s volatile and punitive trade war brings Europe closer to China,” Strain said in an email to Fox News Digital on Monday. “European leaders seem to believe China will become a more stable and predictable economic partner than the US. This is surprising and deeply worrying. President Trump is quarantining the US.”
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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick leaves after President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs on imports during a “U.S. wealthy” trade announcement event. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images / Getty Images)
It doesn’t take long for Europe to head towards China’s weapons in trade, according to Elaine Buckberg, a senior fellow at the Sarata Sustainability Institute at Harvard University. European countries are already moving in that direction.
“Europe is already heading towards China in light of the Trump administration’s new tariffs,” Buckberg, a former chief economist at General Motors and a former U.S. Treasury official, said Monday. Email to Fox News Digital.
Specifically, Buckberg pointed to various meetings between European and Chinese officials, including Friday’s meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and XI in Beijing, as well as a video call between China and the EU’s trade minister on April 8.
“China has been a key European export market for many years and given the high uncertainty of the trade outlook with the US, it will become even more important depending on how US tariffs evolve,” Buckberg said.
Clark Packard, a researcher in trade research with the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute think tank, said instead of choosing to agree to work with like-minded countries to fight China, the Trump administration chose an approach that “allied” allies. As a result, he said, “If tariffs specifically push the European Union towards China, he wouldn’t be surprised.
Additionally, Packard pointed to the impact of tariffs on Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea, which announced on March 30 that it would work with China to strengthen regional trade.
“Japan and South Korea responded to tariffs by expressly stating that they were trying to strengthen ties with Beijing,” Packard said in an email to Fox News Digital on Monday. “Similar dynamics will take place in Europe.”
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent will speak to reporters outside the West Wing after a television interview on the North Lawn of the White House in Washington on March 13, 2025. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images / Getty Images)
Trump and his administration have denounced the trade practices of other countries and accused them of engaging in unfair trade practices against the United States. The White House called for tariffs to address the country’s 2024 record of $1.2 trillion trade deficit, claiming that tariffs would revive US manufacturing jobs.
“President Trump is a master deal maker, with over 75 countries working on negotiations on trade deals that will help American farmers and workers,” White House spokesman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “He will continue to hold China accountable for decades of unfair trading practices until they agree to come to the table.”
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Trump announced historic tariffs at a ceremony at the White House Rose Garden on April 2nd at a ceremony for the “Make America Richer” event.
The tariff plan lays out a 10% baseline tax on all imports into the US, coupled with country customized tariffs that place high tariffs on US goods. A 10% baseline tariff came into effect on April 5th, with other tariffs coming into effect Wednesday in the middle of the night.
However, Trump pivoted on April 9, saying mutual tariffs will remain suspended for 90 days. For the tentative, these countries except China You will only face 10% baseline tariffs.