The European Union “must be ready to defend what she wants and what she needs” against the United States, pleaded Emmanuel Macron vehemently with Richard Quest, famous political interviewer of CNN, in an interview disseminated by The American channel Sunday February 9. He was speaking on the subject of the spectacular increase in taxes on the importation of foreign products in the United States, announced by Donald Trump in recent weeks. “I think we have to be ready to react” and respond to these increases, he said.
If the two leaders are in direct and regular communication, as repeated by Emmanuel Macron, this interview was still an opportunity for the French president to address his counterpart. “When I look at the situation, my first question in the United States is: what is your first problem? Is this the EU? I don’t think. Your first problem is China,” said -How underlined, recalling that the EU was “the ally” of the United States.
25 % on European steel and aluminum
The new American president Donald Trump has been agitating the specter of commercial wars for several weeks and suggested that the European Union should soon be concerned by customs duties. “The EU treated us very badly,” he told journalists at the end of January. If he granted Canada and Mexico a stay of one month, he maintained the application of 10 % additional customs duties on Chinese imports in the United States and announced on Sunday apply, from Monday 10 February, 25 % of steel and aluminum customs duties imported into the country.
About 25 % of European steel exports are intended for the United States, according to Roland Berger. Consequently, “any tax on the part of the United States would hit the European sector,” he warned in a recent note.
“If you want Europe to invest more and engage in security and defense, I think it is in the interest of the United States not to attack Europe and not to threatening it with customs tariffs, “he continued in the tone of the warning. The Head of State has also warned of the consequences of such a measure for the Americans: “If you impose customs duties in several sectors, this will result in prices and create inflation in the States- United “.
“Europe will reply”
If Emmanuel Macron has maintained a diplomat tone, although slightly challenging, his Minister of Foreign Affairs was less subtle. The European Union “will reply” to new customs duties announced by Donald Trump on imports of steel and aluminum, warned Jean-Noël Barrot this Monday, February 10 on TF1. “We will reply again”, as the European Union had already done in 2018 during a similar decision by Mr. Trump taken during his first mandate, he assured.
“There is no hesitation when it comes to defending our interests,” continued the minister. Adding that the European Commission had a mandate to act in this direction, and “that it had assured” the member countries that it would implement it without delay. Without explaining what reprisal measures are envisaged.