2d ago

Trump vows to slap 25% tariffs on EU and claims bloc was ‘formed to screw US’

www.theguardian.com Trump vows to slap 25% tariffs on EU and claims bloc was ‘formed to screw US’

EU said it will reply ‘firmly and immediately’ to ‘unjustified’ trade barriers, signaling it’s ready to retaliate against levies

Summary

Donald Trump has announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on the European Union, claiming the bloc was “formed to screw the United States.”

While details are pending, he suggested the levies would target cars and other imports. The EU, a major U.S. trading partner, has vowed immediate retaliation, with potential tariffs impacting $29.3 billion in exports.

French President Emmanuel Macron had attempted to dissuade Trump, urging focus on China instead.

Critics, including economists and conservative media, warn the tariffs could harm the U.S. economy.

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199 comments

Ok so to recap: stuff made in Mexico? Tariffs! Stuff made in Canada? Tariffs! Stuff made in the EU? Tariffs! Stuff made in China? Tariffs!
Is he jealous of the European 20-25% VAT?
Please EU, don't retaliate on this. If the US put tariffs on everything from everywhere, then it's just masochism and we should let them enjoy the suffering
- Nah, do retaliate. Because the only thing the morons over here understand is “uh oh, line go down”.
  
  As an European I don't want to pay extra taxes on American stuff just because their citizens voted someone with dementia as a president
  
  Canada's plan for the initial round of retaliatory tariffs targets things made in Trump voting states and where there is a similar product made in Canada, or that we can get easily elsewhere, or that we can comfortably do without.
  Things like recreational vehicles, and alcohol were at the top of the list, because they tick all the boxes.
  
  But then you export less stuff, hurting your economy, while the US still exports just as much to you, so their economy does better. The counter tariffs are to make it less appealing for you to buy, and US exports go down.
  In the end, everyone loses, but it needs to hurt them back to make them realize that.
  
  That's a really bad understanding of how economies work. On all levels.
  That's the kind of the way Trump thinks.
  
  So do you think the EU, Canada, Mexico and China all dont understand how economies work either? As they all immediately said they would respond to tariffs with tariffs on American goods.
  
  First, "they all" didn't so it. Some of them did.
  Second, you are the one claiming the motivation for that action. And you are wrong, their motivation isn't to "keep their business competitive despite the US tariffs"... unless of course they also don't know what they are doing. That's because the US tariffs doesn't change the competitiveness of products on their territory, and their tariffs don't change the competitiveness of products on the US territory...
  What should be obvious, because the tariffs aren't applied there.
  
  Please try to read usernames, I didnt say anything about motivations.
  And all of them threatened retaliatory tariffs immediately after trump anounced his:
  China
  Canada
  Mexico
  EU
  Obviously most of those havent been implemented yet as THe USA hasnt implemented it's tariffs. But the more general point about imposing retaliatory tariffs is sound, they make the other countries exports less attractive. If the US does that to other countries they are going to want to do it back to the US.
- Stuff made in China? Tariffs!
  Unless China considers it important. If so, they'll just not send it.

199 comments