Europe prepares its response to Donald Trump’s commercial war. This Monday, the presidents and prime ministers of European countries have met in an informal meeting in Brussels in which the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has also participated as a guest to seek a common position in foreign trade.
One of the issues addressed has been relations with the United Statesthat they will inevitably suffer modifications after Donald Trump announced this Sunday in Maryland that will impose tariffs on imports from the old continent. “With the European Union, it will definitely happen, because they have taken advantage of us, they buy us almost nothing and we buy them from everything“Trump said.
In this way, the Republican leader seeks to correct the commercial surplus that the European Union has with the US, which is currently at 155.8 billion euros, according to Eurostat data.
This would immediately lead Europe to act in the same way and serious the importation of American products, as announced by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. “The EU is ready for a robust dialogue with the United States but we also recognize the potential challenges of this relationship and we are prepared to respond firmly“He said.
“We do not see that this will be very beneficialso we give priority to a productive debate, while the EU remains firm in its multilateral commitments, from the aid to development to the climatic objectives, “added the European president.
The French president Emmanuel Macron He had claimed this measure. “If they attack us commercially, with the power that it has, Europe has to react and make respect“The Gallic president said on his arrival at the meeting in Brussels.
The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz He has seconded Macron’s position and von der Leyen. “To attacks with customs politics we can, and we must respond with customs policies, is what we will do“The current president and candidate for re -election for the Social Democratic Party has made clear.
Finland is the only country he has advocated for not responding to tariffs with more tariffs and has asked to establish negotiations with the United States. In any case, China can become the main beneficiary of this commercial war that can shoot prices and stop the development of the western economy.
The EU could change tax rules to increase defense spending
Ursula von der Leyen has also announced community leaders that it will study the possibility of make the European Union rules more flexible on public deficit control and debt to allow an increase in defense expenditure. “If you look at national budgets, they are constrained. They have been constrained so far through the new rules of the stability and growth pact. For extraordinary times, it is possible to have extraordinary measures also in the stability and growth pact, and I believe that we live in extraordinary times, “said the president of the European Commission.
Source: Lasexta
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