Donald Trump. Credit Line: Andrew Harnik / Zuma Press / Profimedia
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the European Union is “worse than China”, just hours after Washington and Beijing agreed to reduce punitive rates and relax the commercial war, Polito notes.
“The European Union is, from many points of view, worse than China, yes?,” Trump said, criticizing the community bloc. “They will give up a lot, you will see. We have all the strengths. It treats us very incorrectly.”
Despite several attempts to negotiate with Washington the elimination of Trump's tariffs on European products, the European Union has so far failed to obtain an agreement.
Donald Trump's statements mark a significant tone change from last week, when the American leader had praised the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, saying about it is “fantastic” and expressing the hope that they will meet soon.
Although Trump has already met with several European leaders, Von Der Leyen has not yet had an official meeting with the US president. Last week, she said that such a meeting would only take place if there is a “concrete commercial package” that can be negotiated.
Brussels has recently threatened with fares worth 95 billion euros on American products, if negotiations are blocked. Peter Navarro, Trump's counselor on commercial issues, criticized this possible counter-offensive, qualifying it as a provocative.
Donald Trump's new virulent statements come in the context in which Washington and Beijing have agreed to significantly reduce the so-called mutual rates, following discussions in Switzerland between the US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, the US trade representative, Jamieson Greer, and Chinese officials.
US and China reached an agreement to reduce customs taxes on Monday
The United States will reduce Trump's rates on China imports from 145% to 30%, and China will reduce its own measures from 125% to 10%. The suspension is, for the moment, temporary, for a period of 90 days, during which the parties will try to reach a wider agreement.
The so-called “Liberation Day Rates” introduced by Trump against several countries, including the European Union, caused shock waves on financial markets and threatened to completely upset global trade.
Against the efforts to “correct the injustices” perceived in commercial relations with Europe, US President Donald Trump has imposed a 10% basic tariff, as well as an additional 25% fee on cars and metals, with the promise of other tariff measures in the next period.
Trump's comments to the European Union have been made in the context of a new drug regulation plan, announced on Monday by Trump, whereby pharmaceutical companies would be forced to sell in the US at the lowest price offered abroad.
