EU's Kallas questions US rationale for tariffs on bloc, seeks clarification
Kallas said the EU will seek clarification after the Trump administration imposed 10% and 12.5% tariffs on goods from 60 trading partners.
- On Friday, the Trump administration imposed new tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on European Union goods, citing alleged forced labour enforcement shortcomings. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned the rationale, calling the accusations unfounded.
- Kallas said the European Union sought clarification from Washington, noting the bloc honored commitments under a transatlantic trade agreement reached last year. She described the new tariffs as a "negative surprise that this agreement is not kept."
- "You can't say that for the European Union," Kallas told Reuters in Manila. She defended the bloc's labor standards, noting paid vacations and strong employee conditions compared to the United States.
- Separately, the Council of the European Union approved its 21st sanctions package against Russia on Thursday, targeting the country's banking and cryptocurrency sectors to limit funding for the war in Ukraine.
- Kallas noted sanctions are only one element of a broader European strategy to pressure Russia into negotiations. She said the bloc is exploring further actions to deprive Moscow of war financing and capital.
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He believes that the tariff impact will be limited in Europe thanks to the Washington pact.
DECRYPTAGE - The EU's foreign policy is paralysed by the unanimity rule. Reforms are envisaged to provide Europe with a more powerful voice on the international stage.
The continuation of Trump's tariffs in Finland was predictable, says EK leader Timo Vuori. EU's Kaja Kallas was outraged by the forced labor accusations.
EU stuck between US tariffs and tense trade relations with China
Tariff threats from Washington and trade tensions with Beijing are leaving Brussels little room to maneuver. Though an EU spokesperson argued tariffs announced by the US overnight were “in line” with a prior trade deal, a senior European parliamentarian described the levies as “crazy” and continental powers voiced frustration. The EU’s decision yesterday to impose a $1 billion fine on Google piled further pressure on the transatlantic relationsh…
'Europe will pay it'. The Commission: 'False accusations of forced labour' (ANSA)
With an adventurous reason, US President Donald Trump uses an old paragraph to push his favorite issue of tariffs again after a defeat before the Supreme Court. The EU is not prepared for it.
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