Speaking at his first cabinet meeting, the US President said the EU had “taken advantage” of his country by “refusing to accept” American cars and agricultural products.
Responding to Trump’s claims, a spokesperson for the EU said the creation of a regional market had made doing business in Europe easier for American firms.
In 1951, the leaders of Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany signed the Treaty of Paris, establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) the following year.
square KITTY DONALDSON What the German elections mean for Reform
Read More
It was managed by four supranational institutions, including a Common Assembly and a Court of Justice, that would go on to form the basis of the EU.
Creating a common market, the EEC fundamentally reformed trade policy on the continent by abolishing all internal tariffs between members states.
The Maastricht Treaty, signed in 1992, created the European Union as we know it today, granting EU citizenship to every person who was a citizen of a member state.
Twenty three EU states are part of the military alliance, which the US helped form in 1949.
The President has repeatedly announced plans to impose 25 per cent trade tariffs on the bloc, similar to those threatened against America’s neighbours, Mexico and Canada, set to come into force on 4 March.
“They don’t accept our cars, they don’t accept, essentially, our farm products. They use all sorts of reasons why not.
square TARIFFS UK could be hit with tariffs of up to 24% as Trump targets VAT
Read More
“I mean, look, let’s be honest,” he told reporters. “The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States. That’s the purpose of it, and they’ve done a good job of it, but now I’m president.”
“If that happens, we win.”
His claim that US has a $300bn trade deficit with the EU is disputed, with EU data putting the figure at $163bn in 2023.
He hopes to address this imbalance through tariffs.
Supporters argue this will encourage consumers to buy cheaper domestic products, boosting US manufacturing and helping to grow the economy.
An agreement on access to natural resources has reportedly been struck between the US and Ukraine (Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty)
Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt, writing on X, said Trump had a “seriously distorted view of history” as the EU was “actually set up to prevent war on the European continent.”
During his meeting in the White House in the week, Emmanuel Macron corrected Trump’s claim the EU had provided financial support to Ukraine via loans.
The EU has promised to respond with retaliatory tariffs of its own.
“We’re ready to partner if you play by the rules. But we will also protect our consumers and businesses at every turn. They expect no less from us,” they added.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( How the EU hasn’t ‘screwed the US’, despite Trump’s claim )
Also on site :