The President of the European Commission Ursula von der leyen proposed to States United to eliminate mutual duties on industrial goods. “We offered zero-zero duties on industrial goods, as we did for many other industrial partners,” said German politics during a press point in Brussels with the Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. The offer comes after the Trump administration has announced 20% duties on imports from the EU.
Von der Leyen defined the American duties “an important blow for the global economy”, adding that “Europe is always ready for a good agreement”. But he warned: “We are also ready to react with countermeasures and to defend our interests”. The President of the Commission then invited the EU to “further diversify our commercial relations” because this “expands market opportunities and is crucial for our companies”. “We will focus as a laser radius on 83% of global trade that goes beyond the United States – he said – vast opportunities, and this is why we are deepening our relationships with our commercial partners. You know the agreements we have done with Mexico, Mercosur and Switzerland, we are working with India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and many others”.
EU countermeasures ready for mid -April
The impact on global markets
The commercial voltage is already having effects on the financial markets. As reported in a previous article, the Asian bags recorded collapses up to 12% after the announcement of the new duties. Also in Europe there were strong drops, with Frankfurt 10% and Milan of 6.5%.
Goldman Sachs has Revised the growth forecasts for the USAincreasing the probability of recession to 45% in the next 12 months. Even the raw materials have undergone repercussions, with oil and gas in strong decline.
International reactions
Several countries have criticized the American move. There China defined the “extremely deplorable” duties, while the Canada He announced countermeasures. Germany expressed support for the EU position, and France has threatened to “attack American online services”.
In Italy, the premier Giorgia Melons He defined the duties “a wrong measure”, hoping for an agreement to avoid a commercial war that “would weaken the West”. The premier is preparing for a trip to the United States in which he hopes to convince The Donald to lighten, or halve, the measures adopted against the European Union.
The most affected sectors in Europe
Von der Leyen met the representatives of the industry steel And caramong the most exposed to American measures. The EU is evaluating new commercial defense measures for steel, in addition to the existing safeguards that will expire in 2026.
Particular concern concerns the car sector, which in Europe uses about 14 million people and already made unstable by Green Follies. They are already in force are the duties of 25% on cars imported from the EU in the USA.