US duties, EU announces European countermeasures but is 'ready to negotiate'
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen uses very harsh words towards Washington, but keeps the door open for negotiations
From our correspondent Beda Romano
2' min read
2' min read
BRUSSELS - The European Commission announced this morning at dawn, Thursday 3 April, "further trade countermeasures" to the duties that the Trump administration outlined in Washington last night European time. On this occasion in a recorded statement EU executive chair Ursula von der Leyen reiterated that she was 'ready to negotiate' with the US in order to avoid 'immense consequences' for the global economy.
"President Trump's announcement of universal tariffs on the entire world, including the European Union, is a blow to the world economy," explained Ms von der Leyen, who is currently in Central Asia for a summit with the five countries in the region. "The consequences will be terrible for millions of people around the world." The European Commission expects higher inflation, and higher prices in sectors as diverse as healthcare and transport.
Brussels reiterated its readiness to negotiate with Washington. That said, it warned that it is preparing 'further countermeasures to protect our interests and our companies in case the negotiations fail'. In this sense, it added that it will also 'carefully monitor the indirect effects that these tariffs could have, because we cannot absorb global overcapacity or accept dumping in our market'.
"Uncertainty will increase, leading to new protectionism," explained the former German minister. More generally, President von der Leyen assured that the member states will act together: 'Europe will stand by the people directly affected. The EU has already recently announced its decision to restrict steel imports to protect EU producers from the arrival of steel material originally destined for the US.
The White House's protectionist offensive, the likes of which have not been seen since the 1930s, includes an additional 10% minimum tariff on all imports and surcharges for countries deemed particularly hostile to trade. The announcement from Washington of new trade tariffs tous azimuts provoked a lively reaction from numerous countries tonight, from Brazil to Canada, from China to Thailand.
