Trade war: EU will put tariffs on US metals after ‘depressing’ G7 tweets by Donald Trump
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU would place counter-tariffs on US aluminium and steel imports
Europe will implement counter-measures against US tariffs on steel and aluminium, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday, voicing regret about President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw support for a Group of Seven communique.
“The withdrawal, so to speak, via tweet is of course ... sobering and a bit depressing,” Merkel said in an ARD television interview following the G7 summit in Canada.
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“It’s hard, it’s depressing this time, but that’s not the end” of the Group of Seven, she added.
Just like Canada, the European Union is preparing counter-measures against US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, Merkel said.
“It means that we as Europe have to stand up for our principles, potentially together with Japan and Canada,” Merkel said of Trump pushing away the other members of the G7.
Merkel said she will keep talking with Trump., but renewed her call for Europe to take a more forceful role in global affairs and said the European Union won’t be “take for a ride” in its trade conflict with the US.
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The G7 meeting collapsed in farce as Trump left early to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a summit in Singapore, refusing to sign a communique produced by the group.
After a failure to get Trump to budge on the tariffs he placed against America’s G7 allies, Justin Trudeau held a press conference in which he vowed retaliatory action.
“Canadians are polite and reasonable but we will also not be pushed around,” Trudeau said.
And he said he had told Trump that “it would be with regret but it would be with absolute clarity and firmness that we move forward with retaliatory measures on July 1, applying equivalent tariffs to the ones that the Americans have unjustly applied to us.”
Trump responded on Twitter: “Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!”
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He added: “PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, “US Tariffs were kind of insulting” and he “will not be pushed around.”
“Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!”
Merkel responded to the tweet on Sunday, saying: “I don’t think that inflammatory language makes things better. Sometimes it seems the American president thinks that only one side wins and everyone else loses.”
