Leaders from both the European Union and Mexico have voiced strong opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 30 percent tariffs on foreign exports, warning that the move could harm global trade and strain key economic relationships.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen criticized the tariffs on Saturday, warning of severe disruption to transatlantic supply chains and pledging countermeasures if necessary.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also rejected the tariffs, calling instead for stronger regional cooperation to boost North American competitiveness.
"Imposing 30 percent tariffs on EU exports would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers, and patients on both sides of the Atlantic," von der Leyen said in a statement.
Her comments followed an earlier announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said his administration would impose 30 percent tariffs on EU exports, arguing that bilateral trade had long been unbalanced and lacked reciprocity.
Von der Leyen responded that the EU remained committed to a negotiated solution, but emphasized that the bloc would act to defend its economic interests if negotiations failed.
"We remain ready to continue working towards an agreement by Aug. 1," she said, "At the same time, we will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required."
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that Mexico opposes the U.S. government's move to impose additional tariffs, and she called for strengthening regional cooperation to enhance North America's overall competitiveness.
Sheinbaum held a press conference at the National Palace that day to address questions, including whether the U.S. plan to impose a new round of tariffs on Canada would increase uncertainty in the renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
She also announced that Mexico and the United States will hold negotiations in the U.S. next week.
EU, Mexico slam U.S. tariff threat
EU, Mexico slam U.S. tariff threat
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
