EU urges to delay retaliation against Trump over tariff war - Financial Times
Photo: Donald Trump, 47th President of the United States of America (Getty Images)
The European Union may delay retaliation against White House Head Donald Trump for the trade war in order to avoid conflict during the upcoming NATO summit, the Financial Times reports.
Unnamed EU countries are urging Brussels to refrain from any retaliatory measures against Trump's tariffs until the NATO summit, which will be held in June in The Hague, because "a deal with the US President on Europe's medium-term security must be the priority."
At the same time, NATO officials are also calling to "scale down" the NATO summit in order to minimize the chance of clashes with the President of the United States amid uncertainty about what he might do during the meeting.
As the Financial Times recalls, Trump had previously demanded that European allies increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, as well as adopt a plan to "rebalance" the responsibility for defending the continent.
Meanwhile, EU countries are urging the European Commission to avoid antagonizing the White House ahead of the summit. This includes:
- avoiding provocative public discussions about trade measures in response to Trump's tariffs;
- postponing decisions on defense procurements that involve a direct choice between European and American options;
- avoiding criticism of the US approach to Ukraine and their rhetoric regarding the annexation of Greenland.
"There's a lot of nervousness ahead of The Hague, and the general view is to do everything possible to get (Trump - ed.) there, tell him what he wants to hear, and get him out without any disaster," said one high-ranking EU official.
Reports also indicate that Trump may ultimately refuse to attend the summit if European NATO members do not reach an agreement on increasing defense funding and personal responsibility for Europe's security.
Trump's trade war
On April 2, Trump imposed an additional 20% tariff on nearly all European exports. But just a week later, he temporarily reduced it to 10% for 90 days to allow time for negotiations. At the same time, the 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum, and cars from the EU remain unchanged.
In response, the European Union suspended tariffs on American goods worth 21 billion euros. This includes Harley-Davidson motorcycles, poultry meat, and clothing.
As FT earlier noted, the EU is considering imposing tariffs on American Boeing aircraft if trade negotiations with the US do not yield results.
