ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that China’s industrial rise poses a direct threat to Europe’s economic foundations, signaling that the EU may impose tariffs on Chinese goods if Beijing does not address the bloc’s record trade deficit.

In an interview with the daily Les Echos following his official visit to China, Macron said Europe’s trade imbalance has reached an unsustainable level, with Beijing’s surplus exceeding €300 billion ($349.5 billion) last year.

“I try to explain to the Chinese that their trade surplus is not sustainable because they are killing their own customers, notably by hardly importing anything from us anymore,” he said.

Macron said he made it clear to China's leaders that the EU will act if the trend continues.

“I told them that if they did not react, we Europeans would be forced, in the very next months, to take strong measures and to de-cooperate, as the United States has done, for example through tariffs on Chinese goods,” he said, noting he had discussed the matter with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Warning that Europe’s industrial backbone is at stake, Macron said: “China is crashing into the heart of the European industrial and innovation model, historically built on machine tools and the automobile.”

He added that the US protectionism under President Donald Trump exacerbates the pressure by redirecting Chinese exports to Europe. As a result, “today we are caught between the two, and it is a matter of life or death for European industry. We have become the adjustment market, and it is the worst-case scenario.”

Macron acknowledged that forming a unified European position remains difficult, saying Germany “is not yet fully aligned with our position” despite recognizing the growing imbalance.

He said Europe must reinforce its competitiveness by simplifying regulations, deepening the single market, investing in innovation, tightening border protections, and adjusting monetary policy.

China should boost domestic consumption and lower barriers to its own market, he added.

Calling for a shift in foreign investment patterns, Macron urged Chinese companies to expand in Europe as European firms once did in China.

“We cannot constantly import. Chinese companies must come to European soil … and create value and opportunities for Europe,” he said. But he cautioned that their investments “must not be predatory.”

Macron also proposed rolling back aggressive export restrictions on both sides, including Europe’s limits on semiconductor equipment and China’s restrictions on rare earths.

He stressed that Europe must recognize the strength of its domestic market and adjust monetary policy to support growth and employment. Europe, he said, must remain “a zone of monetary stability and credible investment.”