Davos (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – European Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, said the European Union (EU) is open to discussions about purchases of energy and arms from the U.S. to avoid tariffs that President Trump has threatened to set on the EU.
European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told Reuters that the European Union would protect its rights and interests if tariffs were inflicted and referred to the retaliatory tariffs the EU imposed on U.S. imports when EU steel and aluminium were affected by tariffs during Trump’s first period.
He further stated U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports had been confirmed useful when Russia cut most gas supplies to Europe in 2022 after it invaded Ukraine.
“We’re seeking alternative suppliers,”
he expressed.
“So we had a good cooperation over the last couple of years, and from our side, we are ready to see how to further that.”
“So certainly there is scope also to discuss how we further strengthen also our military cooperation and military-industrial cooperation,”
Dombrovskis added.
How did Trump threaten to impose tariffs on the EU?
Donald Trump, the President of the United States, recently revived his threat to place tariffs on a list of countries. His latest threats targeted the European Union, among others. According to Trump, the European Union was not trading fairly and must expect to get tariffs. Trump stated that Europe is “treat the United States very, very badly” and will “not even hesitate” to slap tariffs if they need to “get along.”
Trump stated that the tariff might eventually be as much as 25% on automotive imports from Europe, more than twice the current amount of 2.5%, which he sees as unfair in the current pattern of trade. This follows his assertion that the EU has a trade surplus with the U.S., which he views as problematic.
