EU will act against US tariffs, says Merkel

BERLIN: Europe will implement counter-measures against US tariffs on steel and aluminium just like Canada, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday, voicing regret about President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw support for a G7 communique.

Trump’s announcement on Twitter, after leaving the Group of Seven summit in Canada early, that he was backing out of the joint communique tor- pedoed what appeared to be a fragile consensus on a trade dispute between Washington and its top allies.

“The withdrawal, so to speak, via tweet is of course ... sobering and a bit depressing,” Merkel said in an ARD television interview after the G7 summit.

The summit did not mark the end of the transatlantic partnership between Europe and the US, Merkel said.

But she repeated that Eur- ope could no longer rely on its ally and should take its fate into its own hands.

Like Canada, the EU is preparing counter-measures against US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, in line with World Trade Organisation rules, Merkel said.

“So we won’t let ourselves be ripped off again and again. Instead, we act then too,” Merkel said in an unusually combative tone.

Asked if she was concerned that Trump could retaliate against EU counter-measures by imposing tariffs on cars, Merkel said: “First of all, we’ll try and see if we can prevent this... And then hope that the EU will respond again in the same unity.”

Merkel said the G7 leaders had agreed to review their trade ties and assess the scope of existing tariffs in order to avoid further trade barriers. – Reuters/African News Agency (ANA)