Bert Rürup: Zölle sind das Janusgesicht des Protektionismus
Europas Autoindustrie steckt in der Zollfalle. Schutzwälle gegen China-Importe können ihr Zeit verschaffen. Den auch selbstverschuldeten Verlust an Wettbewerbsfähigkeit ersetzen sie nicht.
Zölle are among the oldest tools utilized in external economic policy, often invoked when a domestic industry faces pressure. Economic and labor representatives frequently call for protection against allegedly unfair competition from abroad. Zölle become a political symbol and instrument, serving to shield jobs and defend industrial sovereignty.
US President Donald Trump champions zölle as a panacea for economic policy, while the EU witnesses a resurgence of protectionism. Faced with a weak domestic economy and high excess production capacity, China's industry exports a growing number of goods to Europe, while imports from the EU decline. The EU's trade deficit with China amounts to roughly one billion euros per day.
Chinese car manufacturers, particularly those specializing in electric vehicles, are expanding rapidly, gaining a technological edge over established producers in Wolfsburg, Stuttgart, and Munich. Last year, over 1.1 million vehicles produced in China were imported into the EU, accounting for about seven percent of all new cars, with battery electric vehicles making up around 20 percent.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
