By putting new tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium Donald Trump has rekindled a trade dispute which has drawn harsh criticism from the European Union.
Ursula von der Leyen the president of the European Commission denounced the US ruling and promised that the EU would strike back with firm and proportionate measures.
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Von der Leyen said she regretted the tariffs and said they were unwarranted.
She also reaffirmed that the EU would not let the move pass without a response.
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Trump’s decision was also criticized by European Union trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic who warned that it would hurt US consumers and increase inflation.
The EU is committed to working with the US to find a win-win solution as quickly as possible he said despite calling the tariffs a lose-lose situation.
Trump declared the new tariffs on Monday, February 10 raising the import duties on steel and aluminium to a flat 25 percent with no exceptions.
Imports from nations like Canada Brazil Mexico South Korea and others that previously had duty-free access to the US will be subject to the tariffs.
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Supporting faltering US industries is the goal of this action but it runs the risk of raising tensions and starting a multifront trade war.
According to the White House Trump intends to impose reciprocal tariffs on nations that impose duties on US goods and the tariffs will go into effect on March 4.
The US president also hinted that he was thinking about imposing tariffs on other industries such as semiconductors automobiles and medications.
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