Trump threatens 25% tariffs on EU, says bloc Was created to ‘screw’ the US

Former US President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on goods from the European Union (EU), stating that the bloc was “formed in order to screw the United States.”

Trump made the remarks during his first cabinet meeting at the White House since his return to office. Elon Musk, who leads the US Department of Government Efficiency but is not a cabinet member, was also present at the meeting.

During his second term, Trump has intensified his protectionist trade policies, raising concerns about a global trade war. Earlier this month, the US imposed 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on Chinese imports. Beijing responded with 10% tariffs on US goods and 15% duties on coal and liquefied natural gas. However, the tariffs on Canada and Mexico were temporarily suspended following border security agreements.

‘They’ve Taken Advantage of Us’

Addressing questions about the EU tariffs, Trump stated:

“We have made a decision, we’ll be announcing it very soon, and it will be 25% generally speaking—that will be on cars and all other things.”

He accused the EU of unfair trade practices, saying:

“They don’t accept our cars, they don’t accept essentially our farm products. They use all sorts of reasons why not, and we accept everything from them. We have about a $300 billion deficit with the European Union.”

Trump went further, making a controversial claim:

“The European Union, it was formed in order to screw the United States. Let’s be honest—that’s the purpose of it, and they’ve done a good job of it, but now I’m president.”

When asked about potential EU retaliation, Trump dismissed the possibility, saying:

“They can’t. I mean, they can try, but they can’t. If that happens, we win. We just go cold turkey, we don’t buy anymore.”

Tensions Over Ukraine

The tariff threat comes amid strained US-EU relations, particularly over the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump recently shocked European leaders by referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “dictator with no elections.”

Zelenskyy fired back, accusing Trump of living in a “Russian-made disinformation space.”

As Trump moves forward with his aggressive trade policies, analysts warn that a full-scale trade war with the EU could have significant economic consequences for both sides.