Press in Italy, South Korea, Mexico and Germany expects Trump's tariffs to remain despite the election result

Following the projections according to which the Democrats win both chambers of Congress, media in several countries are asking on the morning of 4 November 2026 about the consequences for their own trade. The prevailing line: Trump's tariffs remain because the president retains his powers and can issue a veto. Differences emerge on the question of whether trading partners now gain more room for maneuver. There is no official final result of the election yet.

Italy: tariff cap and bases unchanged. The portal Virgilio Notizie (Maurizio Perriello, 10:08 CET) writes that the cap of 15 percent on most exports from the EU, in force since July 2026, remains. The Democrats' victory does not lift existing tariffs, but Congress could try to restrict individual trade instruments by law. The use of the US bases in Italy also continues to be governed by bilateral agreements: “Gli accordi bilaterali continuano a disciplinare l'utilizzo delle infrastrutture” (The bilateral agreements continue to govern the use of the facilities).

South Korea: pressure remains. The agency News1 (Lee Jung-hyun, Kim Seung-joon, Shim Seo-hyun, 9:12 CET) expects that the tariff pressure on South Korea will not disappear. A law against the tariffs would need a two-thirds majority because Trump can veto it. The pledged investments of 350 billion dollars in the US are expected to continue, but the liquefied natural gas project in Alaska could stall.

Mexico: more pressure, if anything. El Financiero (Héctor Usla, Valeria López, Jassiel Valdelamar, 4 November) portrays Mexico as a loser in its headline; in the text, the newspaper speaks of varying consequences. Experts interviewed expect that the Democrats could take a tougher stance on border security, crime and corruption. Trump retains his powers over tariffs in the review of the USMCA trade agreement. The analyst George I. González says there: “México está en una situación muy precaria” (Mexico is in a very precarious situation).

Japan, South Korea, India, China: somewhat more room for maneuver. A report with agency material in the London-based The New Arab (11:00 CET), by contrast, sees more room for trading partners. Japan and South Korea could come under less pressure over their investment pledges of 550 and 350 billion dollars; others, according to the report, warn of even more pressure on allies. India is likely to wait and see. China could exploit Trump's weakness in negotiations, but the economist Alicia Garcia-Herrero (Natixis) says: “Democrats are unlikely to give Trump free rein on deals with Beijing.”

Germany: policy by decree. Daniel Friedrich Sturm writes in a commentary in the Tagesspiegel (9:39 CET) that anyone hoping for a change of policy will be disappointed: “The president makes policy with presidential orders.” He expects a more reckless foreign policy, for instance at the expense of Ukraine.

China: state media without reference to their own country. The state agency Xinhua (Xiong Maoling, Xu Jianmei, 9:44 CET) headlines that the Democrats have recaptured Congress and that Trump's administration is under heavy pressure. His room for maneuver will become significantly smaller over the next two years. The report does not mention consequences for China.

These are assessments by the media and the experts quoted there. They agree that the tariffs will remain for now. They disagree on whether trading partners now gain more room for maneuver or feel more pressure. What the new Congress can do from January is in the timeline, further voices from abroad under Reports.