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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
From trade to tension: is transatlanticism shifting towards cold economic conflict?
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the European Union to "resolutely defend European interests" after Donald Trump threatened to impose 30% tariffs on almost all imports from the EU.
Macron's comments came as the EU is trying to ease tensions with the US after Trump made the surprise announcement on Saturday. The European bloc announced it was delaying the imposition of 21 billion euros in retaliatory tariffs until August 1, to align with the new deadline for the deal announced by the US president.
At the same time, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced a “political agreement” on an EU-Indonesia free trade treaty on Sunday, concluding nine years of negotiations. Indonesia, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, now sees the EU as a more stable partner than the US.
Following the chaos that Trump has brought to the global trading system, the EU has stepped up efforts to conclude new trade deals with partners in Latin America and Asia, including India and Thailand, with the aim of having some of them concluded within this year.
Macron warned that the EU must be ready for a trade war and not let Trump's threats go unanswered. "Now more than ever, it is the duty of the Commission to show determination to defend European interests," he wrote on social media. "This includes accelerating the preparation of countermeasures, through all possible means, including anti-blackmail mechanisms, if no agreement is reached by August 1."
Meanwhile, other European leaders have been more restrained. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who maintains good relations with Trump, said she was confident of a “fair deal.” “It would be unreasonable to start a transatlantic trade war,” she said. Germany, through its economy minister, Katharina Reiche, also called for a “pragmatic solution” through swift negotiations.
The Netherlands and Ireland called on the EU to remain united and not escalate the situation. Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris stressed that there was no need for confrontation, while Trump has previously accused Dublin of "stealing" American businesses through tax policies favoring technology and pharmaceutical giants.
EU ambassadors reported the latest developments to member states on Sunday afternoon, while trade ministers will gather for a special summit on Monday.
Von der Leyen warned that the Commission would continue preparations for countermeasures. She stressed that the agreement with Indonesia is a "milestone" in the strategy to diversify markets and that the EU will further simplify the internal market to create more internal trading spaces.
Trump's threat of a 30% tariff is seen as a negotiating tactic, but behind the scenes anger dominates, with many leaders considering this a dangerous game at a tense global time.
In April, Trump claimed that the EU was imposing 39% tariffs on American imports – a claim discredited by official EU analysis, which shows the real average is around 2.5%.
Some MEPs have warned that accepting these “illegal” tariffs would set a dangerous precedent. “This is a matter of the dignity and self-confidence of the EU,” said Italian MEP Brando Benifei.
Meanwhile, the German Automotive Industry Association warned of a severe financial impact and rising costs for manufacturers and suppliers. The German car industry has already been hit by 25% tariffs on exports to the US and the steel industry faces tariffs of up to 50%.
The deal that was on Trump's desk last week included tariff relief for European manufacturers that have factories in the U.S., such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen and Volvo. But the Swedish finance minister called the deal "very bad," although she acknowledged that "some economic consequences are inevitable."
Currently, EU-US trade is worth around €1.4 trillion a year, but only three countries, Germany, Italy and Ireland, export more to the US than they import from it. /Adapted from “Pamphlet” by “The Guardian”
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