Trump says 30-percent tariffs against EU and Mexico to begin on August 1

EU’s von der Leyen says bloc volition safeguard its interests, ‘including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures’.

United States President Donald Trump has imposed a 30-percent tariff connected imports from Mexico and the European Union starting connected August 1, weeks aft negotiations with the large trading partners failed to scope a much broad commercialized deal.

Trump announced the caller tariffs connected 2 of the US’s biggest commercialized partners successful abstracted letters posted to his Truth Social level connected Saturday. He said they were owed to what helium called Mexico’s relation successful undocumented migration and illicit drugs flowing into the US and a commercialized imbalance with the EU, respectively.

Earlier this week, Trump issued caller tariff announcements for much than 20 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Canada and Brazil, arsenic good arsenic a 50-percent tariff connected copper.

The duties are higher than the 25-percent levy Trump imposed connected Mexican goods earlier this twelvemonth – though products entering the US nether the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement are exempted.

The EU tariff is besides markedly steeper than the 20-percent taxation Trump unveiled successful April.

In response, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is prepared to instrumentality the indispensable steps to safeguard its interests, “including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required.”

Von der Leyen said successful a connection that the bloc remained acceptable “to proceed moving towards an statement by August 1”.

French President Emmanuel Macron called connected the EU to “resolutely support European interests”, saying it should “step up the mentation of credible countermeasures by mobilising each instruments astatine its disposal, including anti-coercion” if the 2 sides failed to scope an agreement.

The EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument allows the bloc to retaliate against 3rd countries that enactment economical unit connected EU members to alteration their policies, its measures including limitations connected entree to nationalist procurement tenders.

Three different EU officials told the Reuters quality bureau that Trump’s tariff menace is simply a negotiating tactic.

EU states, alongside dozens of different economies, had been acceptable to spot their US tariff level summation from a baseline of 10 percent connected Wednesday, but Trump pushed backmost the deadline to August 1 conscionable days earlier the elevated rates were owed to instrumentality effect.

The 27-country bloc is nether conflicting pressures arsenic powerhouse Germany urged a speedy woody to safeguard its industry, portion different EU members, specified arsenic France, person said EU negotiators should not cave into a one-sided woody that lone benefits the US.

Canada earlier received a akin missive setting retired 35-percent tariffs connected its goods.

Trump has besides threatened to enforce a 50-percent tariff connected goods made successful Brazil, successful retaliation for what helium called the “witch-hunt” proceedings against his far-right state erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing prosecution implicit his alleged relation successful a crippled to overturn the country’s 2022 election.

Reporting from Washington DC, Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna said that determination is disorder astir Trump’s motives down the tariffs.

“In the lawsuit of Brazil… that was successful effect to what President Trump described arsenic the atrocious attraction of Bolsanaro by the existent sitting government,” Hanna said.

“So the question is are these tariffs based connected commercialized details oregon are these utilized arsenic punishment? Perhaps a substance of both. But the markets person not reacted arsenic powerfully arsenic they did successful the past. Traders are betting connected the information that these tariffs whitethorn not spell ahead.”

Trump’s cascade of tariff orders since returning to the White House successful January has begun generating tens of billions of dollars a period successful caller gross for the US government. US customs duties gross changeable past $100bn successful the national fiscal twelvemonth to June, according to US Treasury information connected Friday.

But the planetary system and markets person been connected a rollercoaster that seems acceptable to proceed for the foreseeable future.

Critics person besides warned that the levies could transportation costs to US consumers and substance economical uncertainty and inflation.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies