Allies seek trade wiggle room
European and other U.S. trading partners are warning they’re becoming collateral damage as U.S.-China trade friction hardens, with the EU Chamber urging Brussels not to be 'passive' in the dispute. (scmp.com). India is sending a delegation to Washington next week to press trade talks while USTR Section 301 investigations cover roughly 60 economies, a diplomatic push to deepen ties with the U.S. without closing off other relationships. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (dailypioneer.com)
U.S. allies are pushing for room to maneuver as Washington widens trade pressure on China and dozens of other economies. (ustr.gov) In Brussels, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said on April 14 that Europe should not become a “passive recipient” of U.S.-China negotiations while European companies face Chinese export controls. Chamber president Jens Eskelund said European firms keep ending up as “collateral damage” in other countries’ disputes. (scmp.com) In New Delhi, India is sending an official delegation to Washington from April 20 for fresh trade talks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump reviewed economic ties. Indian press reports said both sides are trying to move work on a bilateral trade agreement back on track. (msn.com) The U.S. pressure campaign is broader than China alone. The Office of the United States Trade Representative said in March that it opened Section 301 investigations into 60 economies over alleged failures to block imports made with forced labor. (ustr.gov) Those 60 economies account for 99 percent of all U.S. imports, according to the Congressional Research Service, which means the review reaches far beyond Washington’s direct fight with Beijing. Public comments were due April 15, and the hearings are scheduled for April 28, according to the Federal Register notice. (congress.gov) (federalregister.gov) Europe’s concern is tied to its own exposure to China. The European Commission says China was the European Union’s second-largest goods trading partner in 2024, with bilateral goods trade of €732 billion. (policy.trade.ec.europa.eu) That trade is lopsided. European Union data show the bloc imported €519.0 billion of goods from China and exported €213.2 billion in 2024, leaving a goods deficit of about €305.8 billion. (webgate.ec.europa.eu) India is trying a different balance: deepen trade with the United States without shutting other doors. The Office of the United States Trade Representative says U.S. goods imports from India reached $103.8 billion in 2025, while the U.S. goods trade deficit with India widened to $58.2 billion. (ustr.gov) The European chamber’s warning also comes as multinationals in China face tighter supply-chain rules. The New York Times reported on April 14 that new Chinese regulations could let authorities penalize companies and executives for shifting production out of China. (nytimes.com) What happens next is procedural but consequential: India’s team arrives in Washington on April 20, Section 301 hearings begin on April 28, and U.S. allies are trying to avoid getting locked into a trade fight they do not control. (msn.com) (federalregister.gov)
