The European Commission insists that the Union is one of the "most open" economies in the world, with 70% of imports entering the community market with zero tariffs and that it has "three times more" trade agreements with third countries than the United States has.
The European Union will respond "firmly and immediately" if the new US president, Donald Trump, carries out his latest threat to impose "reciprocal" tariffs on the European Union for VAT, because it considers that it would be an "unjustified" trade barrier that would harm both Europeans and Americans.
"This is a step in the wrong direction. The European Union remains committed to an open and predictable global trading system that benefits all parties," the European Commission said in a statement released on Friday.
Brussels insists that tariffs are in themselves "a tax" and makes it clear that the bloc will respond firmly to any "unjustified barrier to free and fair trade, especially when the fees are used to challenge legal and non-discriminatory policies."
The EU services are thus defending the European tax systems against which Trump says he is preparing tariffs that he defines as "reciprocal". Brussels also claims that the European Union maintains the "lowest tariffs in the world" and sees no justification for the United States to raise its taxes on European imports.
"Tariffs increase economic uncertainty and disrupt the efficiency and integration of global markets," the statement published by the European Commission continued, insisting that "tariffs are a tax and, by imposing taxes, the United States is taxing its own citizens, raising costs for businesses and stifling growth and fuelling inflation."
The European Commission also insists that the Union is one of the "most open" economies in the world, with 70% of imports entering the community market with zero tariffs and that it has "three times more" trade agreements with third countries than the United States.
VON DER LEYEN SPEAKS OF CLEAR AND PROPORTIONATE MEASURES
At a campaign event in support of the CSU in Germany, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also told reporters on Friday that the United States is a preferred partner with whom the Union wants to cooperate, but that "trade wars are not profitable for anyone" and that the imposition of unjustified tariffs on the EU "will not go unanswered."
"We will take proportionate and clear countermeasures," Von der Leyen continued, repeating the position that Brussels has maintained since Trump signed the order to tax at 25% the imports of steel and aluminium that enter the North American market from 12 March, including European productions.
