Will Oliver / EPA
Donald Trump, US President
The promised is due: US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday night the imposition of “reciprocal tariffs” on imports, including 25% on all foreign cars.
Donald Trump announced that the 25% rates About foreign cars, which will largely affect the countries of the European Union, will come into force from midnight today.
The announcement was made in the White House garden, with several US flags on the background and in the presence of the vice president and the main members of the government, including the secretaries of state and defense.
Before signing the executive order instituting the reciprocity of tariffsTrump presented the measure as a Defense of US industrial production.
After multiple alerts from economic and financial experts on the impacts of increased tariffs on US inflation and global economic trade, Trump’s announcement was made after Closing of US scholarships ended in high high.
The imposition of tariffs was nicknamed by the president of, after Donald Trump announced in recent months increases of 25% of customs rights on steel, aluminum, cars and car parts.
“Tariffs will destabilize the world”
The president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagardehe stated that the announced Donald Trump rates will “destabilize the world of commerce, as we know it.”
Lagarde said in an interview with the Irish radio show “The Pat Kenny Show” that the impact of the rates on the tariffs “It will not be good for those who impose the tariffs or those who retaliated”.
Lagarde has avoided, however, to give his opinion on how the EU should respond to rates, since it is something that “must be decided by political leaders.”
“Our work on the ECB is to anticipate, to explain to them [aos líderes políticos] What will be the consequences in terms of economic impact, because it will be negative in any way, ”he insisted.
The president considers that the rates also represent a “Opportunity” for Europe to be more self -sufficientin what called “the beginning of a march to independence.”
“We should not focus exclusively on what is happening on the other side of the ocean, we must focus on the strength we have at home [Europa] and in the way We can recover the independence that we do not haveThis applies to the defense, trade, finances and the way money circulates in Europe, ”he said.
The European Commission has guaranteed that it will respond in the “right time” to the announcement of the US President
Ursula von der Leyen, chairman of the European Commission, has promised that he will address these negotiations “in a position of strength.”
“Europe has many letters in the sleeve”I said. “From trade to technology, going through the size of our market. But this force is also based on our willingness to take firm measures. All instruments are on the table.”
Two possible strategies
According to politics, there are two main approaches through which the EU can embark. The first is attack American financestaxing the main US banks or even slowing down the EU business licenses.
Another strategy, this more than last resort, is to activate the “bazooka” – The instrument Anti-coercion. This mechanism was created in 2023 with the objective of “combating economic threats and unfair commercial restrictions of third countries,” explains the EU page itself.
Serves to apply “restrictions related to trade, investment and financing”, and works as a “deterrent”For external economies. It is therefore activated in extreme cases of strong economic threats to European space.
“The problem with all these ideas of influence is that they are not really an influence,” he says Luísa SantosAdjunct Director-General of BusinessSeurope.
“Our economies are so interconnected that even if I impose tariffs or any other measure, damage your own interests“, He points out.
