Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed the EU Commission to the US Tolle’s hard reaction to steel and aluminum, but at the same time promoted a mutually acceptable solution in the trade conflict.
“We have to use our strength, so they also answer strongly and appropriately, but always with the perspective that there is an understanding,” said the SPD politician after a meeting with EU Council President António Costa in Berlin.
The outgoing head of government pointed out that the rules of free world trade largely originated in the United States. “If tariffs are now put to the move, it damages the American economy the most, but many others too.”
The EU Commission had previously announced that they would counter the US tariffs from April with counter-tariffs such as bourbon whiskey, game consoles, motorcycles, boats and peanut butter. Further measures should follow later. According to the EU Commission, the new US tariffs of 25 percent exports from the EU with a total value of EUR 26 billion meet, which corresponds to around five percent of the EU’s total goods.