Donald Trump has launched a trade offensive against everyone. On Wednesday, the US president announced the imposition of special tariffs of 25 percent on all cars that are not made in the US. He said the measure will take effect on April 2.
Trump's move particularly affects Germany as an exporting country with large car production.
"We're going to put tariffs on all countries, doing business in our country and taking back our jobs. Taking back a lot of things that have been taken from us before. Friends have often been worse than our enemies. And this is very modest. What we're going to do is put a 25 percent tariff on all cars that are not made in the United States. If they're made in the United States, they'll never have a tariff."
Currently, tariffs on car imports into the US are 2.5 percent. In the EU, tariffs are only 10 percent on cars coming from the US. Trump believes that the EU's higher tariffs put American industry at a disadvantage.
Currently, far fewer cars are exported from the US to Europe than vice versa. According to data from the International Trade Administration, 784,889 European vehicles were sold in the US last year. 446,566 of these vehicles come from Germany. This makes the Federal Republic of Germany by far the most important European manufacturing country.
In contrast, 217,230 cars were brought from the US to Europe. Eurostat counts slightly fewer vehicles, but the ratio is similar.
The EU, as well as Japan and Canada, are considering countermeasures. Trump threatens to significantly escalate global trade conflicts.
The president of the German Automotive Industry Association (VDA), Hildegard Müller, described Trump's decision as a fatal signal for free and rules-based trade.
The EU Commission, which is responsible for trade policy, has already announced that it will respond firmly and clearly. It had recently urgently warned Trump against introducing new tariffs. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after the new tariffs were announced that European companies would be protected. The EU would strive for negotiated solutions, she said.
Japan has been hit by the tariffs almost as hard as Germany. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also said Tokyo would soon respond to new US auto tariffs. (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
