Trump fires tariffs against the EU, Brussels: "We will respond"

After Canada and Mexico, China and Japan, the time is coming when the European Union will be hit by a drastic increase in tariffs. At his first cabinet meeting at the White House yesterday, US President Donald Trump announced that European products will "soon" be subject to duties of 25%.

A FEW HOURS EARLIER, in Brussels, the European Commission presented the large package of rules on "Clean Industry" (the former Green Deal renamed), simplifications and an "Action Plan for affordable energy". This last measure contains among other things a gift to polluting industries and another to Trump and "his" producers of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The Europeans hoped to soften his intention to impose duties ( Il Manifesto of February 20 ). The vice-president of the EU Commission Maroš Sefcovic also went to Washington last Tuesday with a suitcase full of other gifts hoping to be able to buy trade peace. All in vain. The godfather of the White House has relaunched. Now we move on to a new phase of hostilities.

US DUTIES will hit cars in particular, Trump said, reiterating his complaints against Europe, which does not accept "cars or agricultural products" from the stars and stripes. "They take advantage of us in a different way" than Canada or Mexico, he added. And then he reiterated his disputed calculation of the US trade deficit with Europe: 300 billion dollars. The European Commission has disputed this figure and claims that it is actually half, or 157 billion dollars for goods. A figure that drops to 50 billion if we take into account the US trade surplus in services.

TRUMP DOES NOT INTEND to listen to the arithmetic reasons, too banal, in his opinion. And he reiterated the real stake: using the tariff lever to attack the European Union's project in crisis. "It was designed to make the United States angry. That was the goal and they achieved it. But now I am the President," he said. Regarding the counter-tariffs announced by the President of the European Commission Ursula von Der Leyen, Trump responded that "they will not work. All we have to do is stop buying everything, and if that's what happens, we win. The United States is the cornucopia, what everyone wants."

TO THE imperial slap , already announced, and the associated economic delirium, a spokesperson for the Commission responded yesterday: "We will react immediately and firmly to these duties. The EU will always protect European companies, workers and consumers. Europe has been a godsend for the United States, the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world. In our single market, US investments have always been highly profitable".

TRUMP'S ANNOUNCEMENT has exposed Meloni's political problem in Italy. Caught between two fires: the ideological one that supports Trump's fascist-capitalism and the European balances that require her to "defend" Italian companies. For Bankitalia, they will be the most affected, together with German ones, by the duties of the "ally" USA. The opposition harshly attacked Meloni last night. For Elly Schlein (PD): "The time for hesitation is over for Giorgia Meloni, she must choose which side she is on". "Patriots are also being sought today - said Giuseppe Conte (Five Stars) - Trump announces duties, Meloni is at a loss for words": "Will she continue to be Trump's vassal or will she oppose this policy that damages Italian companies and workers?" asked Angelo Bonelli (Avs). "By dint of acting like sovereignists, you always find someone more sovereign than you who towers over you" commented Matteo Renzi (IV).

"THIS IS A DARK HOUR ," said Confindustria President Emanuele Orsini. "It is a paradigm shift, unexpected and incredible, that is coming from the United States. The real goal is the deindustrialization of our continent, and therefore employment."