Europe has “a strong plan” for striking back at the United States in response to Donald Trump’s tariff hikes “if necessary,” a top official said Tuesday on the eve of a long-anticipated announcement of massive import levies by the US president.
For weeks, Trump has promoted April 2 as “Liberation Day” in America, when a will be unveiled to implement his administration’s radical economic agenda. The United States has already announced a sharp increase in tariffs on all imports of steel, aluminum and cars.
“Europe has not started this confrontation,” Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union’s executive, said in a speech. “We do not necessarily want to retaliate but, if it is necessary, we have a strong plan to retaliate and we will use it.”
For weeks, Trump has promoted April 2 as “Liberation Day” in America, when a will be unveiled to implement his administration’s radical economic agenda. The United States has already announced a sharp increase in tariffs on all imports of steel, aluminum and cars.
“Europe has not started this confrontation,” Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union’s executive, said in a speech. “We do not necessarily want to retaliate but, if it is necessary, we have a strong plan to retaliate and we will use it.”