On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump warned the European Union and Canada of impending “large scale” tariffs should they join forces in actions against the U.S. economy. This follows his signing of an executive order on Wednesday, which levies a 25% tariff on imported foreign vehicles, intensifying his campaign to increase import fees globally.
“If the European Union works with Canada in order to do economic harm to the USA, large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both in order to protect the best friend that each of those two countries has ever had!,” Trump wrote in a post on the social media platform Truth Social.
The decision has sparked immediate criticisms and unease among critical international trade partners. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen voiced significant disappointment over the newly imposed tariffs.
Though the EU and Canada have not indicated any current plans to cooperate against the U.S. as Trump suggested, they have hinted at potential countermeasures in response to the recent U.S. actions. Von der Leyen emphasized that the EU is committed to pursuing negotiated solutions while protecting its financial interests.
“I deeply regret the US decision to impose tariffs on European automotive exports.
The automotive industry is a driver of innovation, competitiveness, and high quality jobs, through deeply integrated supply chains on both sides of the Atlantic.
As I have said before, tariffs are taxes – bad for businesses, worse for consumers equally in the US and the European Union.
We will now assess this announcement, together with other measures the US is envisaging in the next days.
The EU will continue to seek negotiated solutions, while safeguarding its economic interests.
As a major trading power and a strong community of 27 Member States, we will jointly protect our workers, businesses and consumers across our European Union,” wrote Von der Leyen in a statement.
