U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on imports from the European Union, accusing the bloc of being designed to “screw” the United States.
Speaking at his first cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump said the decision on the tariffs had been finalized and would be announced “very soon.”
“It’ll be 25 percent, generally speaking,” Trump told reporters. “That’ll be on cars and all other things.”
Reiterating his longstanding claim that the U.S. is treated unfairly in global trade, Trump alleged that the EU restricts American cars and agricultural products while benefiting from open access to U.S. markets.
Currently, the EU imposes a 10 percent tariff on U.S. vehicle imports — four times higher than the 2.5 percent U.S. tariff on European passenger cars — although the U.S. already applies a 25 percent tariff on imported pick-up trucks.
“Let’s be honest, the European Union was formed to screw the United States,” Trump said. “That’s the purpose of it, and they’ve done a good job of it. But now I’m president.”
His remarks prompted a swift response from the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, which defended the bloc as a key partner for the U.S. economy.
“The EU will react firmly and immediately against unjustified barriers to free and fair trade, including when tariffs are used to challenge legal and non-discriminatory policies,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
