The EU must respond "resolutely" again to Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum. Ultimately, this may be the way to avoid a trade war with the United States. This is what Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M) says on his way to a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.
- I strongly believe that if we respond resolutely without escalating things, then this is the best possible condition for this to eventually subside, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
Last week, an American tariff on steel and aluminum of 25 percent came into effect. The tariff applies to all imports of the two materials. It also affects European and Danish exports, and the decision from the US president prompted the EU Commission to present a counter-response.
The EU Commission has announced that it will respond by imposing tariffs on goods from the United States worth 26 billion euros. This corresponds to almost 194 billion The Commission has published a 99-page list of new products that could be subject to tariffs. The majority of the products on the list fall within the categories of poultry, fruit, vegetables and alcohol. The deadline for EU countries to respond to the proposal is now 26 March.
If there is no qualified majority against the proposal by then, the EU's tariffs on US goods will come into effect on 1 April and 13 April respectively. The tariffs are then expected to be levied from mid-May. Even though the EU's response has not yet come into effect, it immediately prompted Trump to threaten the EU with a 200 percent tariff on wine, champagne and alcoholic beverages if the EU does not remove the tariff on whisky from the proposal. The escalating threats are irritating the Danish Foreign Minister.
- It's not good. It's not wise. Neither for the American people nor the European people. But it's not our choice. So of course it is something we have to respond to, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen. He is concerned that the US, led by Trump, will damage the transatlantic relationship at a time when Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are working ever closer together.
- In the world we are looking into, there is no need for further divisions and divisions across the Atlantic. It is quite the opposite for Western societies, which are under pressure and losing ground in this decade we are in, says Løkke and adds:
- Our best collective response is not to be in a trade war with each other, but to try to build on the synergy that exists in having an even closer relationship. But it takes two to tango and two to have an integrated form of trade.
jel /ritzau/
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