China's E-commerce Giants Rush to Europe as Trump Upends Trade

Some of China's biggest e-commerce and logistics companies such as JD.com are making a beeline for Europe's warehouses once again, as US President Donald Trump's tariffs reshape manufacturers' supply chains and markets.

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LONDON –

In Britain, for instance, Chinese firms have taken up more than two million sq ft of space in 2025, potentially on track to beat the 2.3 million sq ft uptake at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, according to data from CoStar.

A similar phenomenon is playing out across continental Europe, with landlords noticing an increase in inquiries from Chinese groups.

“Europe is the last major market where Chinese firms can expand at speed, making them an increasingly important force in shaping the region's logistics landscape,” said Ms Claire Williams, head of UK and European industrial research at Knight Frank in London. This is set to continue due to trade policy shifts, she added.

Though the world's two largest economies have yet to reach a deal over tariffs, manufacturers in China have been seeking alternative markets for their goods as they brace themselves for higher US tariffs.