US President Donald Trump has promised tariffs of 25 percent for imports from the European Union.
“We made a decision. We will announce it very soon, ”Trump said during a cabinet meeting when asked by a journalist. Then he pushed: “There will be 25 percent, generally spoken, for cars and all other things.”
Trump accused the European: inside again to take advantage of the USA. The EU was founded “to pull the USA over the table”. This is “the purpose” of the EU.
Trump had recently signed an arrangement that tariffs are to be raised everywhere where the United States is currently less demanding than its trading partners: inside. It doesn’t matter whether it is strategic competitors such as China or allies such as the European Union, according to the White House. The tariffs are not yet in force. The Republican has instructed his team to work out corresponding punitive measures.
EU Commission Vice: Europe will react
The EU Commission Vice-Vice-Presentation, responsible for industry and the EU internal market, confirmed to X: “Europe will react immediately and determined.” He also wrote that barriers for fair trade were particularly unjustified between partners: inside and that consumers in the USA and the EU harm.
Customs threats as a negotiation tactic
The US President also surprised with a new appointment for tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada. These should come into force on April 2, Trump explained. At the beginning of February, shortly before the planned entry into force of punitive tariffs, he accepted 25 percent concessions of neighboring countries and postponed the trade restrictions by 30 days. This period would have meant that the tariffs take effect in early March. The new date April 2th points to another postponement. When asked by a journalist, Trump did not clearly confirm this.
Trump always uses customs threats as a negotiation tactic and constantly throws numbers into the room. A few days ago he said that he wanted to raise tariffs of 25 percent on the import of cars into the USA. A concrete announcement had promised for April 2.