World leaders criticise Trump tariffs as ‘major blow’

AFP :

Donald Trump’s decision to impose new tariffs on all goods entering the US is a “major blow to the world economy”, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has said.

Her comments echo those of a number of other countries, including China, which has expressed its opposition to the move and has warned it will take “resolute countermeasures” against the US.

Their words of warning come after the US president announced a universal 10% tariff on all imports into the US from 5 April. Around 60 countries will also be hit with steeper tariffs from 9 April.

Trump said the measures were payback for unfair trade policies, adding that he had been “very kind” in his decisions.

Trump has said the tariffs will be used to boost US manufacturing, saying on Wednesday that the move would “make America wealthy again”.

Giving a statement on Thursday morning, von der Leyen said the new tax imports will see “uncertainty spiral”, causing “dire” consequences “for millions of people around the globe”.

She emphasised the impact on the most vulnerable countries, pointing out that some of those nations are now subject to some of the highest US tariffs.

The EC chief vowed Europe would take a unified approach and warned that the European Union – which will be subject to a 20 per cent tariff – is preparing countermeasures in case negotiations fail.
“If you take on one of us, you take on all of us”, she said.

Negotiations between different EU member states will begin next week, Bernd Lange, who chairs the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade said.