Rui Rocha considers that Donald Trump has started a “tariff war”, which “is bad for all Portuguese, because it will delay economic development or even generate an economic crisis.” The leader of the liberal initiative defends a “surgical and assertive response” without climbing.
The president of IL defended the negotiation pathway on Wednesday to respond to the customs tariffs imposed by the US Administration of Donald Trump and asked to adopt a “surgical and assertive response” without creating an “open tariff war.”
Speaking to journalists at Praça do Duque de Saldanha, Lisbon, where IL released a new electoral poster, Rui Rocha considered that Donald Trump started a “tariff war”, which “is bad for all Portuguese because it will delay economic development or even generate an economic crisis.”
“How can this situation be responded? The view of IL is that, from an economic point of view, being bad negative rates for the economy and for Portugal, it makes no sense to have an equal response, that is, to increase indiscriminately tariffs,” he said.
For Rui Rocha, what makes sense is to take measures that show Donald Trump that Portugal “is not happy” with customs tariffs and adopt a “assertive surgical response, focused on essential aspects, but not involving the world in an open, indiscriminate tariff war.”
Asked it is considered that the Portuguese State must support the sectors most affected by tariffs, Rui Rocha considered that “this decision would be hurried at this time,” stressing that now it is necessary to show Donald Trump “that this decision is wrong” to the United States themselves.
“And, therefore, being already taking rushed support measures without the possibility of reversing these decisions by negotiating … It seems to me that it is the time to expect, to negotiate, to insist on diplomatic. Measures to support something that is not fully realized do not make sense at this time,” he said.
Already about being considered that the government devalued this issue, as the PS secretary-general criticized and the BE coordinator Rui Rocha said it does not seem to seem to make this accusation. “
“The questions are still very at first. There will surely be time for negotiations, we will see whether President Trump, who has made this decision, has or not to make some kind of retreat,” he said.
The IL leader considered that this is the time “to take the right, assertive surgical measures” and “insist on negotiation”, expressing the hope that, in the end, it can even be “reducing tariffs around the world, in relations with the different states of Europe and Portugal.”
Rui Rocha also took advantage of the theme to criticize the arrival, which did not directly mention, stressing that “in Portugal defends these Trump policies, is at the service of Trump, but not surely in the service of the Portuguese”.
The tariffs, which the US president calls “reciprocal”, entering today, being a rate that adds to the 10% global minimum tariff that began to apply on April 5.
It includes a 20% rate on imports from the European Union and 34% on Chinese products, while India products pay 26%, Taiwan 32% and Vietname 46%.
Given these rates, the Prime Minister’s official source of the cabinet today indicated that Thursday’s Council of Ministers will discuss the issue and discuss any answers after government meetings with business associations.
