Trump threatens 50% tariffs: EU is planning sharp countermeasures!

Trump threatens 50% tariffs: EU is planning sharp countermeasures!

Brüssel, Belgien - President Donald Trump once again threatened drastic measures in the trade conflict with the European Union. From the beginning of June, a duty of up to 50% could be introduced to goods from the EU, as reported Tagesschau . This announcement provides outrage in Brussels, where the EU has signaled to continue to adhere to a negotiating solution and possibly collect against tariffs.

EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic emphasized on telephone calls with US trade minister Howard Lutnick and trade officer Jamieson Greer that trade relationships should be based on mutual respect. Trump justifies his threat with inadequate progress in the negotiations. Before that, there had been hopes for an approximation between the USA and the EU after concrete claims were exchanged.

reactions from Brussels

The chairman of the trade committee in the EU Parliament, Bernd Lange, described Trump's threat as a pressure attempt and announced that the EU is considering tariffs. Previously, tariffs had been suspended for 90 days to enable negotiations, but this period ends in July. In the meantime, the USA continues to collect a flat rate of 10% on EU imports and additional tariffs on steel, aluminum, cars and auto parts.

The EU Minister of Trade Handelds call for a balance in the negotiations and reject role models from US agreements with China and Great Britain. In order to counter the pressure, Brussels prepares comprehensive countermeasures and has already created a list of US export goods worth 95 billion euros. At the same time, the EU intensifies the talks with other trading partners and has completed a total of 44 free trade agreements with 76 countries.

economic consequences of a customs conflict

The effects of such a customs conflict could be serious for EU companies. Loud diw Not only direct exporters are affected, but also companies that provide raw materials and components. Simulations show that a flat rate of 25% on EU goods could reduce exports to the USA by half in the long term. Keyling sectors such as pharmaceuticals, transport equipment and motor vehicles would be hit particularly strongly.

The overall economic consequences could reduce the real gross domestic product (GDP) of the EU by around 0.25%. Germany could have a decline of around 0.33%. The EU plans to compensate for possible losses from threatened tariffs by deepening relationships with free trade partners such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. This approach could neutralize the economic damage and enable long-term GDP profits in all EU member states.

At the political level, the Commercial Committee Chairman announced to travel to Washington for a long time to talk about the customs dispute and find a constructive solution. The situation remains tense and the coming weeks could be crucial for trade relationships between the EU and the USA.