It will not respond to more “announcements without details”
The European Commission has warned the President of the United States, Donald Trump, on Monday that there is “no justification” for imposing tariffs on steel and aluminium exports from the European Union and therefore it will respond to any “unjustified” measure that could put European interests at risk.
It is the first reaction from Brussels to Trump’s announcement on Sunday of his intention to tax all steel and aluminium imports to the United States by 25%, although from the community capital they clarify that they have not received “any official notification” confirming that EU productions will be penalised by the measure.
“We will not respond to general announcements without details or written clarifications. The European Union sees no justification for the imposition of tariffs on its exports,” the Community Executive has indicated in a statement collected by Europa Press.
“We will respond to protect the interests of European businesses, workers and consumers from any unjustified measures,” the statement continued, in which the community bloc also stressed that, in general, any imposition of tariffs “would be illegal and economically counterproductive, especially given the deeply integrated production chains that the EU and the United States have established through transatlantic trade and investment.”
The European Commission, which speaks on behalf of the 27 in trade matters, argues that tariffs “are essentially taxes” and that, if these taxes were imposed, the new Trump Administration “would be taxing its own citizens, raising costs for companies and fueling inflation.”
The Community Executive also warns that tariffs “increase economic uncertainty and disrupt the efficiency and integration of global markets.”
