, Columnist
Europe Has a Magic Charm Against Tariffs: Cachet
“Made in Germany” and “Made in Italy” are brands capable of compensating for higher prices.
Branded.
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
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The trade war between the U.S. and China has already slowed down growth in Europe’s export-oriented economies – including the biggest of them, Germany – even though they haven’t been slapped by any punitive tariffs. The wholesale buyers of European products, though, should perhaps be more optimistic about signing deals: Consumers attach a lot of value to the national brands of Germany, Italy and France, and that may compensate for any price increases caused by tariffs.
So far, U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade wars have largely spared Europe, and German exports haven’t seen a significant drop.