U.S. tariff policies do not serve anyone's economic interests, said experts at the Fifth China-Gulf Forum in Abu Dhabi, warning that without China's unmatched manufacturing scale, trade restrictions offer no viable alternatives.
The Fifth China-Gulf Forum was held on April 19-20 in Abu Dhabi and Beijing, focusing on the disruptions caused by U.S. tariff policies on the global economy and the prospects for cooperation between China and Gulf countries in this context.
Experts at the forum said U.S. tariff policies fail to serve economic interests, urging stronger China-Gulf cooperation to address emerging challenges and opportunities.
"You don't really benefit from that [tariff policy], right? Like there's a reason that trades happen. In any case, I don't think the U.S. can manufacture at this scale with the capacity that China manufactures their goods. So is anyone else going be able to produce what China is producing and manufacturing? The answer is a simple no," said Salma Saidane, former Goldman Sachs associate.
Aref Al Farra, economic advisor to the Director General at Abu Dhabi Chamber, highlighted significant collaboration opportunities between China and Gulf countries.
"There is huge collaboration opportunities between China and the GCC. Just for Abu Dhabi for instance, the number of businesses in Abu Dhabi registered with the Abu Dhabi Chamber increased, I believe around 50 percent and then around 69 percent in the year 2023 and 2024," said Farra.
U.S. tariff policies serve no-one’s interests: experts
U.S. tariff policies serve no-one’s interests: experts
U.S. tariff policies serve no-one’s interests: experts
