'They have taken advantage of US': Trump says EU tariff coming 'pretty soon'

US President Donald Trump said that tariffs on goods US import from the European Union (EU) will happen “pretty soon”, insisting that the regional bloc has taken advantage of Washington. The proclamation from the American commander-in-chief came a day after he signed an executive order which imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods and an additional 10 per cent tariff on Chinese exports.

The order not only stirred controversy but attracted retaliatory actions from Canada, Mexico and China. On Sunday, Trump attempted to defend his decision stating tariffs on the EU are on the way. “They’ve really taken advantage of [the US],” he remarked. “They don’t take our cars, they don’t take our farm products. They take almost nothing, and we take everything from the millions of cars, tremendous amounts of food and farm products,” he added.

When asked by BBC about the timeline of when this might happen, Trump said: “I wouldn’t say there’s a timeline, but it’s going to be pretty soon.” “The United States has been ripped off by virtually every country in the world. We have deficits with almost every country - not every country - but almost, and we’re going to change it. It’s been unfair,” he concluded.

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Starmer has been ‘very nice’

While Trump maintained an aggressive stance against the European Union, he went easy on the United Kingdom, which is no longer part of the regional bloc. Trump recalled his meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and called the latter a “very nice man”. “We’ve had a couple of meetings. We’ve had numerous phone calls. We’re getting along very well,” he said in the adoration of the British premier.

However, Trump did admit that the UK has been “out of line” in its trade with the US. He still maintained that the “situation can be worked out” given his ties with Starmer. “We’ll see what happens, it’ll happen,” Trump remarked when asked by BBC if the UK would be the target of the attack.

Pressed further, Trump went back on his comments, saying “It might happen”, adding that his real concern is trade with the European Union. “It will definitely happen with the European Union,” he said. “The UK is out of line. But I’m sure that one, I think that one, can be worked out," he added.

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EU reacts to Trump’s threat

Soon after Trump’s remarks, the European Union said that the bloc is watching the developments closely and would “respond firmly” if the American president decides to impose tariffs on the bloc. A European Commission spokesman, who asked to remain anonymous told Euro News that the group “regrets the US decision to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.”

“At the moment we are not aware of the imposition of further tariffs on EU products. Our trade and investment relations with the US are the most important in the world. The stakes are high. We should both seek to strengthen this relationship,” the spokesman said.

In the past, the EU has maintained that “Generalised tariff measures increase business costs, hurt workers and consumers. Tariffs create unnecessary economic disruptions and promote inflation. They are harmful to all parties.” “The EU firmly believes that low tariffs foster growth and economic stability within a strong, rules-based trading system. However, the EU will respond firmly to any trading partner that unfairly or arbitrarily imposes tariffs on EU goods,” the spokesperson added.