Frankfurt, Germany – Frankfurt, Germany (AP) – New scanning tariffs Announced by the president of the United States, Donald Trump, caused consternation, the threats of countermeasures and the so -called urgent for conversations to find ways to terminate the rigid new import taxes imposed on the goods of the countries around the world.
But Thursday’s responses were measured, highlighting the lack of appetite for an absolute commercial war with the world’s largest economy.
Trump said Wednesday that import taxes, which go from 10% to 49%, would do to US business partners. What they have done for a long time to the US. UU. He argues that they will attract factories and jobs to the United States.
“Taxpayers have been scammed for more than 50 years,” he said. “But it will not happen anymore.”
Trump’s announcement of a new 20% rate on the European Union caused a strong reprimand of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who said it was a “great blow to the world economy.”
“The consequences will be serious for millions of people around the world,” said Von der Leyen. The groceries, transport and medications will cost more, he said while visiting Uzbekistan. “And this is a pain, in particular, the most vulnerable citizens.”
However, Von der Leyen was delayed to announce new measures of retaliation and stressed that the EU was ready to negotiate with the United States.
Reggian Parmigian cheese manufacturers of Italy say that new tariffs only mean that US consumers will pay more, since protected designation really does not compete with the Parmesan made. “The Americans continued to choose us even when the price rose” after an earlier round of Trump rates in 2019, said Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Parmigian Reggiano consortium.
“Putting tariffs on a product like ours, only increases the price for US consumers, without protecting local producers,” he said.
Analysts say there is little to obtain from a total commercial war, for the United States or other countries, since higher rates can reduce growth and increase inflation.
“If Trump really imposes high rates, Europe will have to answer, but the paradox is that the EU would be better to do nothing,” said Matteo Villa, a senior analyst at the Institute of International Political Studies of Italy.
“On the other hand, Trump seems to understand only the language of force, and this indicates the need for a strong and immediate response,” Villa said. “Probably hope, in Brussels, is that the answer will be strong enough to induce Trump to negotiate and, soon, go back.”
Europe’s strategy has so far been limiting reprisals to the first tariff rounds to only a few politically sensitive assets, such as Bourbon and motorcycles in an attempt to take the United States to the negotiating table, instead of increasing a total commercial war that could paralyze its export -dependent economy.
Economists say that the next objective could be US technology companies. They enter the category of services, where the US exports more than what matters to Europe and, therefore, would be more exposed to reprisals.
The EU response, which is probably ready by the end of April, includes the option of a tax on digital giants in the United States, said French government spokeswoman Sophie Primas. “We are going to point to the services, for example, digital services that are not being taxed for now and could be, the GAFAM, for example,” said Rtl Rtl in French. That is an colloquial acronym for Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft.
The outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the EU cannot just say that tariffs are harmful: “We must demonstrate that we have strong muscles.”
He added: “But this is with the objective of an agreement, because that is the best for prosperity in the United States, for prosperity in Europe and for prosperity in the world.”
British prime minister Kier Starmer said that the United Kingdom government would react with “fresh and quiet heads,” telling the business leaders in London who expects tariffs to be lifted with a commercial agreement. “No one wins in a commercial war, that is not of our national interest,” said Starmer.
Japan, the closest ally in the United States in Asia, plans to analyze closely the tariffs of the United States and its impact, said the chief secretary of the Cabinet, Yoshimasa Hayashi, while refraining from talking about reprisals.
Financial markets shook, with futures of US actions by lowering up to 3% on early Thursday and a 2.8% drop in Tokyo reference reference losses in Asia. Oil prices sank more than $ 2 per barrel. Analysts asked the superlatives at a step that interrupts the global commercial order and revokes decades of efforts to reduce rates through commercial conversations and free trade agreements.
“The magnitude of the deployment, both on scale and speed, was not only aggressive; it was a macro interruption of the entire trotottle,” said Stephen Innes of Spi Asset Management in a comment. Jim Reid, from Deutsche Bank, described him as “radical policies reorganization” and said that the United States now had an average rate of 25%-30%, the “worst end of expectations” and the highest since the beginning of the 20th century.
“This is a change of play, not only for the US economy but also for the global economy. Many countries will probably end in a recession,” Olu Sonola, head of economic research in the United States, said in an report. “You can throw most forecasts through the door, if this rate remains on for a prolonged period of time.”
Asian countries that are among the largest exporters in the United States promised to act quickly to support car manufacturers and other companies that are probably affected.
South Korea’s prime minister Han Duck-Soo told officials to work with business groups to analyze the impact of the new 25% rate to “minimize the damage,” said the Ministry of Commerce.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said that Beijing “would take the countermeasures resolved to safeguard their own rights and interests,” without saying exactly what he could do. With previous rates of rates, China reacted by imposing higher tasks in US exports of agricultural products, while limiting mineral exports used for high -tech industries such as electric vehicles.
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum said she would wait to see how Trump’s announcement will affect Mexico, which, like Canada, was saved from goods already qualified under her free trade agreement with the United States, although she previously announced 25% tariffs in automatic imports It entered into force on Thursday.
A 29% tariff imposed on the small advanced position of the South Pacific of Norfolk Island was a shock. The Australian territory has a population of around 2,000 people and the economy revolves around tourism.
“Let me know, we do not export anything to the United States,” said the administrator of Norfolk Island, George Plant, the representative of the Australian government on the island. “We do not charge tariffs on anything. I can’t think of any non -tariff barrier that was not in place, so we are scratching our head here.”
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AP journalists worldwide contributed to this story.
