Beijing, 8th 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.”
For more information and the preliminary report, please see here.