The US President Donald Trump has said that the implementation of trade tariffs on European Union members will "absolutely" happen.
This is reported by The Guardian.
The US leader has threatened to extend his restrictions to the bloc and potentially the UK, while Trump has acknowledged that the tariffs will "hurt" Americans.
"It will absolutely happen with the European Union. I wouldnʼt say thereʼs a specific timeline, but it will be pretty soon," the US president told reporters.
He appears to have a softer stance towards London, writes The Guardian, thanks to his established contact with the head of the British government Keir Starmer. However, Trump still does not rule out the possibility of imposing tariffs.
"The UK has gone beyond the limits, but Iʼm sure it can be resolved. Prime Minister Starmer has been very kind, weʼve had several meetings, weʼve had many phone calls, we get along very well. Weʼll see if we can balance our budget or not," Donald Trump added.
The day before, a spokesman for the European Commission said that Brussels would “respond firmly to [actions] of any trading partner that unfairly imposes tariffs on EU goods”. The EC criticized Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. The Commission emphasized that this only stimulates inflation and harms all parties.
EU leadersʼ reaction to Trumpʼs threats
European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas said the bloc was “listening carefully” to Trump’s comments and was prepared to respond if necessary. She said there were “no winners in trade wars” and that China would be the only beneficiary of such a scenario.
French President Emmanuel Macron is convinced that if Europe is “attacked from a trade perspective, [it] will have to stand up for itself and react”.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the EU must do everything it can to avoid “absolutely unnecessary and stupid tariff wars”. A trade war between the bloc and a longtime ally would be a “cruel paradox”, the official added.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen insists on the need for a collective and decisive European response in the event of restrictions from Washington.
Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden supported the idea that tough tariffs should be met with similar measures. But, he said, this should not overshadow the defense debate.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that any tariffs would be “bad for the US and bad for Europe”. The leader believes that cooperation between Washington and the EU will resolve the situation.
It is worth negotiating with Trump, not war, added Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
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