QATAR PERSPECTIVE

Doha reads Trump's tariffs on European cars through the lens of a consumer market that imports massively from German, Italian and French luxury brands. Al Jazeera reported that 25% tariffs will hit 'the luxury market the most' — an observation with direct resonance in Gulf countries where BMW, Mercedes and Porsche account for a very high share of car sales.

The Qatari angle is not political but economic: if European manufacturers must absorb higher US costs, some will be passed through to global pricing, including third-party markets like the Gulf. Conversely, reduced profitability in the American market could push European carmakers to intensify commercial efforts in the Middle East — a potentially beneficial effect for local buyers.

Doha also tracks the global trade realignment with the interest of a state whose wealth rests on hydrocarbons: US tariff policies that slow European growth reduce energy demand and affect Qatari LNG prices. The trade war carries energy ramifications that the Gulf feels directly.