EU fires back at Trump claims, says it has been beneficial for US
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The EU rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that it was created “to screw the United States."
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New German cars are stored at a logistic center in Essen, Germany, Monday, February 3, 2025, as US President Trump threatens the European Union (EU) with new tariffs. (AP)
The European Union pushed back on Wednesday against US President Donald Trump’s claim that the bloc was formed "to screw the United States," calling the EU the world’s largest free market and a benefit to the US economy.
An EU Commission source stated the bloc would respond "firmly and immediately" if Trump proceeds with new tariffs after the US president announced his administration’s plan to impose a 25% tariff on EU imports, including cars.
"We have made a decision, and we’ll be announcing it very soon, and it’ll be 25% generally speaking, and that’ll be on cars, and all of the things," Trump said during a cabinet meeting.
The EU currently imposes a 10% tariff on passenger cars, compared to the US tariff of 2.5%, a long-standing source of trade friction. US officials have also criticized European value-added taxes, which start at 17.5%.
Intent to retaliate
The European Commission stated on Monday that it would take action to protect EU interests following US President Donald Trump's announcement of new metals tariffs, but would wait for further clarification of the measures.
Trump revealed on Sunday that he would impose a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports into the US, marking a significant escalation of his trade policy overhaul.
The commission noted that it had not yet received official notification about the additional tariffs on EU goods and would not respond to "broad announcements" without further details or written clarification.
"The EU sees no justification for the imposition of tariffs on its exports. We will react to protect the interests of European businesses, workers, and consumers from unjustified measures," the commission stated.
If confirmed, Trump's decision would mirror his previous action during his first term, when he imposed 25% tariffs on steel and 10% tariffs on aluminum from several countries, including European states, which amounted to €6.4 billion ($6.6 billion) worth of exports.
In response, the EU initially imposed tariffs on €2.8 billion worth of US goods, including bourbon and Harley Davidson motorcycles in 2018.
The EU had planned to add another €3.6 billion of US goods after three years. When Joe Biden took office, the two sides agreed to suspend US tariffs and EU countermeasures, with the former lasting until the end of this year and the latter until March 31.
