Editorial from France's "Le Point": Why Trump Treats Europe Like China

According to an editorial article from France's "Le Point" magazine published on Friday (July 18), US President Trump announced on July 12 that he would impose a 30% tariff on European imports starting August 1, which interrupted ongoing US-EU trade negotiations.

Sudden Interruption of Negotiations

The editorial in "Le Point" stated that previous US-EU trade negotiations had progressed relatively smoothly. EU negotiator Maros Sefcovic had believed that both sides were close to reaching a 3-4 page principles agreement. The EU was prepared to accept a 10% cross-border tariff and had been working to limit its impact on strategic sectors such as automobiles, steel and aluminum, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and timber.

Trump's sudden announcement put the negotiations into a deadlock, even surprising his own trade team.

Trump's Statements

On May 12, Trump said: "The EU is worse than China in many aspects." He compared the EU to China, while the US has imposed a 30% tariff on Chinese goods.

In February this year, Trump claimed that "the main purpose of the EU's establishment was to deceive the US in trade." In a letter dated July 11 to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he complained about the EU's "tariff and non-tariff policies and trade barriers."

Trump also expressed dissatisfaction with the EU's value-added tax policy and the "unfair litigation" against American tech giants, and claimed that the US trade deficit with the EU reached $350 billion.

Data Disputes

However, actual data show that Trump's statements are inaccurate. After combining commodity trade (where Europe has the advantage) and service trade (where the US has the advantage), the US trade deficit with the EU in 2023 was only 49 billion euros, far lower than the figure Trump claimed.

Political Implications

Analysts point out that Trump's tariff policy may have deeper political purposes. Vice President J.D. Vance met with Alice Weidel, leader of the German AfD party, in Munich. Trump also supports anti-EU candidates such as George Simion from Romania and Karol Nawrocki from Poland.

On May 27 this year, a U.S. State Department official document explicitly called for "regime change" in Europe. The document, written by 26-year-old Trump advisor Samuel Samson, suggested establishing a "civilization alliance" with European far-right groups.

EU Response

Facing the threat of US tariffs, the EU Commission is preparing countermeasures. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán refused to support these countermeasures, reflecting divisions within the EU on how to respond to US pressure.

EU leaders believe that Trump's ultimate goal is to force the EU to abandon digital legislation (DSA, DMA), cancel taxes on digital services, and dismantle its regulatory framework.

Future Focus

Analysts say that the 2027 French presidential election and parliamentary elections in Italy and Poland will be key points. Trump may continue to support nationalist and populist forces, trying to weaken the EU from within.

The editorial concluded by stating that EU officials urged member states to recognize the situation and view Trump as an organized opponent rather than a capricious partner.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838064729409610/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.