On Friday (November 22) local time, Jovita Neliupien, the EU Ambassador to the United States, stated that the EU is prepared to deal with the potential US European trade friction that may arise after Trump's re-election as US President.
During the campaign, Trump repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs of 10% to 20% on all imported goods, even Europe, as an ally of the United States, was not spared.
Faced with Trump's tariff threat, European officials are concerned that a second round of trade war may break out between the United States and Europe. As early as Trump's first term, a trade war broke out between the United States and Europe, and the remaining trade disputes have not been completely resolved to this day.
At that time, the United States was the first to impose tariffs of 25% and 10% on steel and aluminum from the European Union, respectively. After negotiations failed, the European Union also imposed tariffs on some American exports.
During a press conference on Friday, Neliupien refused to discuss possible retaliatory measures by the European Union.
Neliupien stated that the United States is the most important trading partner of the European Union, with bilateral trade in goods and services reaching $1.7 trillion and two-way investment reaching $5 trillion. She added that there is more potential for cooperation between the two sides in areas such as energy.
Of course, just like every family, there can be some tense situations at times, "Neliupien said. If there are any new trade frictions, the EU is actually prepared to respond
Previously, media reports stated that the EU has prepared a list of US goods that may be subject to tariffs, and if the new Trump administration imposes tariffs on Europe, the EU will take countermeasures.
If Trump imposes tariffs, Europe will suffer heavy losses. According to the data of the US Census Bureau, the EU exported US $576.3 billion worth of goods to the US in 2023, accounting for nearly 20% of its total exports. The trade surplus of goods was US $208.6 billion.
In addition to developing countermeasures, the EU is also trying to find ways to cooperate with Trump, such as increasing imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States.
Earlier this month, European Commission President von der Leyen said that the EU might consider replacing Russian supply with US LNG.