President Donald Trump announced a 30% rate for the European Union (EU) and Mexico, the charges that should come into force on August 1.
Trump shared the news on Saturday via his social platform Truth, while continuing to publish letters sent from the United States to other countries aligned with agreements and commercial prices. In letters to the EU and Mexico, delivered on Friday, Trump refers to the respective trade deficits of countries with the United States as a “major threat” for national security.
Addressing the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, Trump referred to the initial prices he placed on the neighboring country when he returned to the White House, when he said that Mexico was largely responsible for the Fentanyl flow in the United States, he recognized that Mexico had since “helped” to secure the border, but that his actions are not “enough”.
“Mexico has still not stopped the cartels, which are trying to transform all of North America into a narco-trafficking playground. Obviously, I cannot let it happen,” said Trump. “From August 1, we will charge Mexico a 30% rate on Mexican products sent to the United States, separated from all sectoral prices.”
As he stipulated elsewhere, Trump added that “there will be no price” if Mexico chooses to build and manufacture products in the United States instead. He continued by saying that if Mexico successfully defies the cartels and stops “the fentanyl flow” in the United States, an adjustment to the prices will be taken into account.
In what has become a little more characteristic of these letters of commercial negotiation, Trump signed with the declaration: “You will never be disappointed with the United States of America.”
Learn more:: Trump passes in front of his own rate deadline and sends warning letters to more countries
Addressing the prices in a shared statement on its official government website on Saturday, Mexico said that its delegates had told US officials a day before that the new price rate would be equivalent to “unjust treatment” that Mexico did not accept.
Meanwhile, in his letter to the EU, Trump held the same promise of a 30%price, citing that the United States has one of “its biggest trade deficits” with the block. Trump has long challenged the EU in 2018, during his first mandate in the White House, questioned about the prices, Trump said that “nobody treats us much worse than the European Union” and argued that the block was “formed” to “take advantage of the United States”
In this new letter, Trump said that the relationship between the United States and the EU “was unfortunately far from reciprocal”. During the price service of 30% on EU products sent to the United States, separated from all sectoral prices, Trump issued a warning according to which “the transpired goods to escape a higher rate will be subject to this higher price.”
Trump also issued a striking warning against any reprisal measure.
“The EU will allow full and open access to the United States, without a price which is charged to us, in order to reduce the important trade deficit,” said Trump. “If, for any reason, you decide to increase your prices and to retaliate, then regardless of the number you choose to raise them, will be added to the 30% that we will charge.”
Trump continued by saying that the prices “can be modified, upwards or down, depending on our relations with your country”.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, responded to the announcement.
“A 30% price on EU exports would harm companies, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic,” she said via social media. “We will continue to work on an agreement by August 1. At the same time, we are ready to protect the interests of the EU on the basis of proportional countermeasures. ”
Negotiations between the EU and the United States have been Rocky to say the least, since Trump’s return to the White House.
In May, Trump accused the EU of blocking commercial negotiations. “Our discussions with them are going nowhere,” he said, threatening to place a “50%right rate” on the EU from June 1. After a telephone call with the president of the European Commission, Trump René and agreed to return to the deadline of July 9. (Trump began to send his trade agreements and his letters on July 9, his initial deadline linked to the prices, but the White House said that the higher prices will not come into force before August 1.)
Learn more:: Trump threatens an additional 10% rate for countries “align” on “anti-American” Brics policies
In the past four days, Trump has announced a series of higher samples against countries, including a 35% rate for Canada and a 25% tax on goods imported from South Korea and Japan.
Trump unveiled his first “reciprocal” rates on April 2, setting a basic load of 10% for most countries, some receiving higher rates. In the midst of the fears and concerns of the recession of the world leaders, Trump granted an extension of 90 days to most countries, delaying the start date for all, except at 10%, to give time to negotiations.
Now, while the start date of August 1 recently announced is looming, EU leaders eagerly look at trade negotiations.
“We trust the good will of all stakeholders to achieve a fair agreement that can strengthen the West as a whole, since, in particular in the current scenario, it would have no sense to trigger a trade war between the two sides of the Atlantic,” read a declaration by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday, after the announcement of the 30%tariff.
