EU trade surplus with US reaches record high

Brussels: The EU’s trade surplus with the United States reached a record level in 2018, data showed, increasing the risk that US President Donald Trump’s anger could reignite a trade war.

Trump is a furious critic of Europe’s high trade surpluses, accusing the EU – and especially Germany – of unfair practices against US workers, much like he does with China.

Last year, his government imposed punitive tariffs on steel and aluminium from Europe and other partners, and this was met with countermeasures by the EU, including duties on US motorcycles and denim jeans.

In 2018, the EU trade surplus with the US reached € 139.7bil (RM644.3bil), € 20.1bil (RM92.7bil) more than in 2017, according to the EU’s Eurostat data agency.

The new data lands as the US Commerce department is reported to have found that auto imports into the US threaten national security, the first step toward possible auto tariffs by Washington.

The report is expected to be delivered to the White House by today and has been seen as a major risk for EU automakers.

Trump would have 90 days to decide on taking the measures, with the latest surplus data likely to weigh in his decision.

“I like tariffs,” Trump said at press conference on Washington on Friday, saying they are bringing “many billions of dollars pouring into our Treasury.”