Trump threatens tariffs to the European Union!
On December 20th, US President elect Donald Trump posted a threatening message: "The EU must make up for its huge trade deficit with the US by purchasing our oil and gas on a large scale. Otherwise, it will have to impose tariffs throughout the entire process
According to US data, the trade deficit in goods and services between the US and the EU in 2022 is $131.3 billion. In 2023, the United States will be the largest importer of EU goods, accounting for 19.7% of its exports.
A senior EU diplomat said they were not surprised by Trump's remarks on Friday.
This statement appeared after the year-end summit of EU heads of state on Thursday. During the meeting, issues related to European American relations were discussed.
The message is clear: the EU is committed to continuing to cooperate with the United States in a pragmatic manner and strengthening transatlantic relations, "said Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, after the meeting
During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly threatened to impose comprehensive tariffs on multiple US trading partners and made it a signature feature of his campaign. Despite warnings from economists that this move could increase domestic inflation risks, he continued this argument as he prepared to take office.
Analysts say there is still a high degree of uncertainty regarding whether Trump has the willingness or ability to fully implement these tariffs and whether his tough rhetoric is just the starting point for negotiations.
Since Trump's victory last month, EU officials and member states have been preparing for a possible trade offensive.
In 2017, Trump imposed tariffs on European steel and aluminum under the pretext of national security during his previous term, catching the EU off guard. Since then, the EU has redefined its trade policy, expanded its response toolbox, and had a range of options to deal with coercive behavior.
After the G7 meeting held in Italy in late November, German Foreign Minister Annalena Bellberg said, "We are fully prepared for the changes that the new US administration may bring. If the new US administration implements a 'America First' policy in the climate or trade fields, our response will be 'European solidarity'
Ursula Vondrein, the president of the European Commission, put forward an idea last month that importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States can replace the EU's consumption of Russian LNG.
Von der Leyen said after talking with Tran in Mandarin: "LNG is one of the topics we are talking about. We still get a lot of LNG from Russia. So why not replace it with American LNG, which is cheaper and can reduce our energy costs?"
The United States is already the largest LNG supplier to Europe, but Russia's LNG imports remain firmly in second place.