Trump reignites trade war with tariffs on EU cars

New trade escalation

The decision comes after a previous agreement reached last July. That agreement stipulated that the United States would impose a 15% tariff on most European Union products. In return, the EU would eliminate tariffs on the majority of American industrial goods. However, this latest move represents a new escalation in trade relations between the two sides.

In remarks to reporters, Trump asserted that these tariffs are intended to encourage European companies to relocate their factories to the United States at a faster pace. He also claimed that this would boost the American economy and create new jobs.

Sharp European criticism

For his part, Bernd Lange criticized the US decision, considering it a repeated violation of trade agreements. He indicated that this move reflects the unreliability of the US side in adhering to its international commitments.

Lange had previously accused the United States of breaching the trade agreement. This came especially after Washington moved to increase tariffs globally, following domestic court rulings related to trade policies.

Escalating political tension

يتزامن القرار مع تصاعد التوتر السياسي بين واشنطن وعدد من الدول الأوروبية، على خلفية مواقفها من التوترات الدولية، خاصة ما يتعلق بإيران. كما أعلن ترامب سحب نحو 5 آلاف جندي أمريكي من ألمانيا، منتقدًا مواقفها. ولوّح بفرض رسوم إضافية على دول مثل إيطاليا وإسبانيا، ما ينذر بتوسيع نطاق الخلافات الاقتصادية والسياسية بين الجانبين.