Trump’s import tariffs and BYD’s expansion into Germany: displacing European and American automakers to form a new stage of technological confrontation between the U.S. and the PRC

On March 27, 2025, the Trump administration imposed tariffs of 25% on all cars imported to the United States.

At the end of February 2025, Stella Li, Vice President of the Chinese car company BYD, announced the construction of the Chinese company’s third plant in Europe, namely in Germany, and facilities in Hungary and Turkey.

The simultaneous introduction of Trump’s tariffs and Chinese expansion into Europe is not a coincidence, as the US and China are systematically pushing European automakers out of global markets, creating a separate field for technological confrontation between the heavyweights of Washington and Beijing, thereby demonstrating Europe’s weakness.