The tension between Donald Trump and Brussels is rekindled: «Ready to increase the rates if the union does not maintain the promise to invest 600 billion in the USA. I will impose 250%gabelles on drugs ». Next week the decision on chips and semiconductors
Between Donald Trump And Brussels is armed peace. The executive order with which the president of the United States has ordered duties at 15% starting from 8 August could become barbed card if Europe does not maintain the commitments made, or rather, imposed by Washington, in the agreement in Scotland. The echo of the exemption of European governments towards the conditions accepted by the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der leyento snatch the new customs tax at 15%, has arrived beyond ocean and Trump Fearing some cunning of the last hour by the old continent, he returned to brandish the weapon of the threat. «If the EU does not make the promised investments, I will raise the duties to 35%. The only reason I lowered them is that it assured us of 600 billion dollars to do what we want, “he said in an interview with CNBC.
And it doesn’t end here. While Brussels officials argue that the drugs will pay a maximum rate of 15%, also at the end of the American administration investigation pursuant to section 232 of the trade Expansion Act, yesterday the frozen shower arrived. Always in the television interview, Trump He specified that he intends to “impose duties up to 250% on pharmaceutical products”. It will be a gradual process. “It will begin with a small rate, of 150% which then, within a year or year and a half, will increase to 250%,” he specified. A sting for the industry of the Italian drug that exports to the States for over 10 billion and which, only with the duties at 15%, would suffer an impact of about 2.5 billion. For Farmindustria, raising customs rates would be a boomerang for the United States that would be in the absence of products and would be hit by an avalanche of increases also for health insurance. The creation of production sites would still require years during which essential drugs would be missing on the market.
Trump Finally, he announced news coming for chips and semiconductors: rates will be defined next week or shortly thereafter.
Not a word on how imports from Europe of steel will be treated. There Von der leyen It is convinced that in the end Washington will accept the solution of the shares related to the historical levels of trade. “We expect it to be included in the next EU-USA JUNDED DECLARATION,” said the spokesman for the European Commission trade, Olof Gill. The sector is currently subject to a 50%duty.
Breath also suspended for the expiry of 8 August. «Our interpretation is that the executive order will enter into force at midnight and a minute of August 8. So, at 6 in the morning, now in Brussels, August 8. But obviously the US authorities will apply the duties, so they are in the best position to confirm what they say and what their executive order means, “he remarked on the spokesman for the EU Commission, Arianna Podestà. As if to say that, with the unpredictability of the American president, everything is possible.
Meanwhile, to relax the climate, yesterday the announcement of the suspension of countermeasures on the duties on the US assets for a value of 93 billion euros (107 billion dollars) arrived, following the agreement reached with Washington last month.
Brussels also looks optimism to the solution of the duties on the car. «They have not yet been lowered, so 25% are currently more than 2.5% as a treatment of the most favored nation. But we expect this that you change very early », thus reaching the roof of 15%, reports a high EU official during a briefing with journalists. Then specified that the reduction of the rate did not occur with the executive order of Trump last Friday because it concerned the so -called mutual duties and for “cars, as for other sectors, it is a different legal base. It is a separate tariff measure, “he explains,” and therefore we expect it to take a little more time. But these results should also come a lot, very soon ».
But the union inside is split, with Germany trying to play alone to save two strategic sectors, or four wheels and steel. For this reason the Minister of Finance, Lars Klingbeilmet in Washington Scott Bessent: Meeting at the end of which he harshly criticized the agreement reached by Brussels: «I believe we were too weak. We cannot even be satisfied with the result obtained ». “We were surprised,” he replied Olof Gill“The position of the vast majority of the EU Member States, including the one from which the minister in question comes”, was that “only a negotiated solution could guarantee stability and protect our common interests”.
On burning coal also Switzerland under the sword of Damocles of the new customs tariff of 39%. The President of the Confederation Karin Keller-Sutter and the Minister of Economy Guy Parmelin They will go to Washington to try to unlock the situation. The goal is to organize direct meetings with the stars and stripes authorities to convince them to reduce duties. According to some rumors, there would be some options on the table, including a tempting offer, to dissuade the President of the United States.
The talks of the extra EU countries affected by duties continue frenetic to try to snatch a more favorable solution from Washington. The Japan negotiator returned to the United States, Ryosei Akazawa: “One of the objectives of my visit is to solicit an executive order of the president, as soon as possible, for cars and spare parts rates,” he said Akazawawho is Minister for Economic Revitalization. Despite the executive order of Donald Trump On the “mutual duties” fixed at 15% “the duties on cars and components”, key market for the country of the Rising Sun, remain to be clarified.
The tension between the White House and the New Delhi government is still high threatened with new and greater customs rates if it does not stop buying Russian oil
Another strategic meeting is between Trump and the Chinese president, XI Jinping. “We will see each other by the end of the year, we are approaching an agreement,” said the American president.
