Spectaris, the German industry association for optics, photonics, analysis and medical technology, expresses strong criticism of the increased import tariffs on Chinese products into the USA imposed by the US government under President Joe Biden. These punitive tariffs particularly affect electric cars, solar cells, semiconductors and medical items such as cannulas and protective masks. The US government justifies the tariffs with the need to combat unfair trade practices by China and prevent Chinese exports from becoming dominant.

"The new tariffs of up to 100 percent on high-tech products will not only significantly impact international trade, but also have a negative impact on German and European companies operating in these global markets," says Jörg Mayer, Managing Director of Spectaris. "The measures could lead to a destabilization of international trade relations and a further shift of Chinese overcapacity towards Europe and thus to increased competition." The existing overcapacity in China is already a major risk factor, which is also seen as a growing challenge in the latest business survey by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC). The current measures could have an even more drastic impact on world trade than already feared.

The association calls on German and European politicians to actively oppose these trade barriers and to promote international dialogue, while at the same time focusing on fair competition. The politically motivated subsidy policy in China's high-tech sectors is already having a massive impact on the medical technology industry and is leading to a price war in China, which is also spreading more strongly to third markets.

Spectaris warns that a similar development to that in the USA in the 2000s could be repeated in Europe. At that time, many US companies went bankrupt as a wave of low-cost Chinese imports swept into the US - encouraged by China's admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This wave of bankruptcies led to the loss of millions of jobs and had long-lasting effects. A wave of insolvencies like the one in the USA in the 2000s must be prevented in Europe. However, it has already been shown in the past that punitive tariffs can do little to combat this.