US IMPOSES TARIFFS OF $7.5 BN ON EU
The United States imposed tariffs on a record $7.5 billion worth of European Union goods on Friday, earning a swift threat of retaliation.
The tariffs, which took effect just after midnight in Washington (9.31 am IST, Friday), came after talks between European officials and US trade representatives failed to win a last-minute reprieve.
Airbus, French wine, and Scottish whiskies are among the high-profile targets with Europe ready to hit back against its own list of iconic or politically sensitive US products next year.
The Wto-endorsed transatlantic onslaught from US President Donald Trump also comes as Washington is mired in a trade war with China and could risk destabilising the global economy further.
In the line of fire are civilian aircraft from Britain, France, Germany and Spain — the countries that formed Airbus — which will now cost 10 per cent more when imported to the US.
But the tariffs also target consumer products such as French wine, which Trump had vowed to attack. Wine from France, Spain and Germany will now face 25 per cent tariffs.
“We regret the choice of the US to move ahead with tariffs,” European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said after attempts to negotiate a truce went nowhere. “This step leaves us no alternative but to follow through in due course with our own tariffs in the Boeing case, where the US has been found in breach of WTO rules,” she said.
Speaking in Washington hours before the tariffs came into effect, France’s Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire warned the move would have serious repercussions. “Europe is ready to retaliate, in the framework of course of the WTO,” he told reporters shortly after meeting with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. These decisions “would have very negative consequences”, he said.
Le Maire was due to meet Robert Lighthizer, Trump’s trade supremo, later on Friday.
At a time when the global economy is slowing, “I think that our responsibility is to do our best to avoid that kind of conflict,” Le Maire said.
The Europeans have long advocated negotiation over conflict and they themselves will be able to impose tariffs next year to punish the United States for subsidising Boeing.
But EU officials offered in July to call a truce on subsidies for planemakers, in which both sides would admit fault and agree to curtail state aid -- to no avail. The two sides have been involved in a row over the subsidies for 15 years.
The tariffs kick in just days after the US was given the formal go-ahead by the World Trade Organization, an official approval previous Trump trade tactics have lacked. As recently as Wednesday, Trump singled out the Europeans for being unfair with the US on trade, but said his door was open to negotiate a settlement.
The Europeans fear above all that Trump will impose heavy duties on imports of European cars around mid-november. This would be a serious blow for the German auto sector in particular, even if giants such as Volkswagen or BMW also manufacture in the United States.
“Our products are very hard to bring in (to Europe)” when Europeans easily import their cars into the United States, Trump said.
Trade groups in Europe such as winemakers, German tool manufacturers and whisky producers in Scotland have kept up a clamour of protest, demanding Washington reverse tack.