US-China Trade War Piles Pressure on European Chamber Member Companies Go back »

2025-05-08 | All chapters

Beijing, 8^th May 2025 – The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (European Chamber) conducted an online flash survey to understand how its members have been affected by the recent escalation of tariffs and trade measures between the United States (US) and China. While the results show that there has been a relatively limited direct impact, the US-China trade war has resulted in significantly heightened uncertainty for companies doing business in China.

European Chamber members are most affected by China’s tariffs on US goods, with almost half of respondents reporting this to be the case. By contrast, over two-thirds of respondents stated that they have been unaffected by US tariffs on imports from China. This can be attributed to the ‘in China, for China’ approach that many Chamber members have adopted.

The trade war has significantly affected business confidence, however, with 59% of respondents stating that doing business has become more difficult since the beginning of 2025, more than 60% expecting intensified competition and 58% concerned about future profits.

While 57% of respondents reported that their business strategy has not changed, they are continuing to monitor the situation. Of those that have already taken action, 17% are making changes to their sourcing, 14% are delaying investments or expansion plans in China and an equal percentage are looking to increase their investments in the country.

“It is difficult to overstate how much uncertainty this trade war has created for our members,” said Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. “But we believe that China can turn crisis into opportunity and demonstrate that it is a stable and predictable investment destination.”

Download the preliminary report.

中美贸易战：中国欧盟商会会员压力倍增

        北京，2025年5月8日——中国欧盟商会发布在线问卷，调查近期中美关税与贸易措施升级对其会员企业产生的影响。调查结果显示，其直接影响虽然相对有限，但是却导致在华营商的不确定性剧增。

        调查显示，超半数受访会员受到了中国对美国商品加征关税的影响。同时，超三分之二会员表示美国加征关税未影响到从中国进口商品这可归因于许多商会会员采取了 “在中国，为中国 ”的策略。

        然而在贸易战影响下，商业信心严重受挫。59% 受访企业表示自 2025 年初以来，营商更为困难；60% 以上受访企业预计竞争将会加剧；58% 受访企业对未来利润表示担忧。

        虽然57%受访企业表示其商业战略尚未改变，但是将会持续关注形势变化。在已经采取措施的受访企业中，17%表示正在调整采购方式，14%表示正在推迟在华投资或业务扩展，14%表示正在考量增加在华投资。

        中国欧盟商会主席彦辞表示：“这场贸易战给会员带来的不确定性难以言表。但我们相信中国可以转危为机，展现其作为投资目的地应具备的稳定性与可预测性。”

下载初步调查报告。

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