EU trade ministers scramble to counter Trump's 30% tariff threat
The EU faces a critical two weeks to prevent a 30% tariff on imports from the US, which could disrupt transatlantic supply chains and cause significant economic damage.
Experts agree that if Donald Trump follows through on his threat to impose a 30% tariff on EU imports, transatlantic supply chains would collapse, devastating businesses and wiping out jobs.
EU trade ministers held an emergency meeting in Brussels on Monday to assess the situation.
If you want peace, you have to prepare for war. It's not that we want the war, but we need to prepare in order to give our Commissioner the strongest possible negotiation position. And I think we managed to achieve that today.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Danish Foreign Minister
Hungarian Minister Levente Magyar told his EU counterparts he strongly resents the European Commission's failure to strike a trade deal with Washington, despite, in his view, having had ample time. Some analysts say he has a point.
This trade debate is not new. The European Union should have been more prepared than they are today. So it is definitely linked to the security conundrum, because the Europeans remain extremely dependent on the United States.
Johann Weick, EU Policy Consultant
The EU now has just over two weeks to persuade Trump to back down from the sweeping 30% tariff. Both sides have faced criticism in the European Parliament, though most of it is aimed squarely at Trump.
This isn't just a trade dispute anymore. It's pressure. It's coercion. It's a deal making of the worst sort. It's an attempt to put a price on what we are .
Sergey Lagodinsky, German MEP
Each day, €4.4 billion worth of goods and services flow between the EU and the US.
On Monday, July 14, EU ministers agreed to pursue new trade partnerships and strengthen existing ones, but few believe this will alter Trump's course of action.
While both sides stress the importance of cooperation, underlying tensions regularly resurface, which complicates efforts to reach lasting agreements.
This is now particularly the case given that the White House is occupied by the most unpredictable US president in history.
Palestine Action proscription review
‘Who Dares Wins’ SAS war crimes covered up
London day of solidarity with Palestine
Yasser Abu Shabab’s destiny is inevitable fate of every traitor: Hamas
Israel conducts violent airstrikes on Lebanon after direct talks
Final SIGAR report finds decades of US corruption, waste in Afghanistan
VIDEO | Iraqi government denies listing Hezbollah, Ansarallah as terrorist group
VIDEO | IRGC hosts SCO anti-terror drill
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Trump set to unveil Gaza governance plan before Christmas: Report
Iran condemns US sanctions as 'crimes against humanity'
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
