{"id":418420,"date":"2025-02-11T12:14:04","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T11:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/2025\/02\/11\/ritorsione-india-ue-compatta-dazi-trump\/"},"modified":"2025-02-11T15:16:35","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11T14:16:35","slug":"eu-unites-against-trumps-tariffs-retaliatory-measures-and-talks-with-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/2025\/02\/11\/eu-unites-against-trumps-tariffs-retaliatory-measures-and-talks-with-india\/","title":{"rendered":"EU unites against Trump’s tariffs: retaliatory measures and talks with India"},"content":{"rendered":"

from the correspondent\u00a0in Strasbourg<\/em> – React with retaliatory measures and conclude new trade agreements, starting with India. It\u00a0is the EU’s response to the decision of US President Donald Trump<\/strong> to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum<\/a>, discussed during a European Parliament plenary debate, where the major groups are uniting, forming a\u00a0true ‘Ursula majority’ like never\u00a0before since the June 6-9-vote. It is a sign of unity in the hemicycle, marking a twelve-star alignment against Washington’s moves, as the initial\u00a0reactions are unconvincing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0“I deeply regret<\/strong> the US decision to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminum exports,” the official reaction of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen<\/strong> just minutes into the House meeting. Von der Leyen, who is not present in Strasbourg due to institutional commitments, promises that “unjustified tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered” and announces “firm and proportionate countermeasures.” However, from the benches of The Left,\u00a0Rudi Kennes<\/strong> attacks: “I regret? It\u00a0is ridiculous. Trump is laughing at this.” His\u00a0colleague and co-chair of the group, Manon Aubry<\/strong>, adds to the criticism: “The EU’s reaction is nothing. We continue to be the lapdog of the United States even when they strike at the rights of the LGTBQI community and attack Europe’s interests. How many more provocations must we endure before leaders\u00a0wake up?<\/strong>”\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic<\/strong> tries to calm a House that demands and expects action. “The EU sees no justification for this decision. We will respond proportionately and to defend our interests,” he told\u00a0MEPs. He admits that a tariff-driven trade war is “not our preferred scenario” but assures that they will move forward with determination. However, Sefcovic points out, “We are open to negotiate<\/strong>.” Against Trump’s\u00a0policies\u00a0and those who would follow his example\u00a0is more trade, the EU commissioner emphasized. He recalls and claims the\u00a0agreements with Mercosur countries<\/a> and updates to\u00a0the agreement with Mexico as an EU shield to Trump<\/a>. In light of recent events,\u00a0Sefcovic anticipates deals with India, the Philippines, and Thailand<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
Trade Commissioner, Maros Sefcovic [Strasbourg, February\u00a011, 2025]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The People’s Party (EPP) supports Sefcovic’s\u00a0words and strategy. “We need Mercosur.\u00a0We need to continue with India and Indonesia,”\u00a0Jorgen Warborn <\/strong>added.<\/strong>\u00a0More importantly,\u00a0a firm and decisive response is needed\u00a0because “fragmentation weakens us.” The Commission, however, suggests “responding in compliance with the World Trade Organization (WTO).\u00a0Otherwise, it creates even more uncertainty.” Even in the ranks of the Liberals (Renew Europe), there is a call to proceed with negotiations with New Delhi. “More trade is the answer” to Trump’s tariffs, argues Svenja Hahn<\/strong>, “and India is the best answer” in that regard.<\/p>\n

Socialists (S&D), Liberals (Renew), and Greens join\u00a0the call for firmness and counter-tariffs<\/strong>, as does the EPP. “We want the European Commission to respond with retaliatory measures<\/strong>,”\u00a0Socialist Kathleen Van Brempt <\/strong>cuts short. “You don’t stop a bully by giving him what he wants.\u00a0Otherwise, he will always ask for more.” PD MEP Stefano Bonaccini<\/strong> also believes that “faced with the threat of the protectionist weapon, we will have to respond together, without hesitation.”<\/p>\n

Renew Europe is on the same wavelength.\u00a0<\/strong>“With the United States, we are ready to respond” to make it clear that “Trump was elected president of the United States, not the world,” said Karin Karlsbro. Liberal Marie-Pierre Vedrenne<\/strong><\/strong> urged there to be\u00a0no wavering. “We must respond harshly,” she said.\u00a0Even Anna Cavazzini of the Greens<\/strong> urges the EU executive to react: “The European Union cannot be blackmailed.”<\/p>\n

More timid is the co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament, Nicola Procaccini<\/strong>: “The only way to tackle this new challenge is to have a fair approach<\/strong>,” he argues. It\u00a0means that, as the European Union, “we have to be ready; we don’t like tariffs, but we know that they are part of international trade. They were\u00a0yesterday, they are today, and will be in the future.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The European Commission promises answers, with the EPP, S&D, Renew, and Greens united in counter-tariffs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":275731,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"1","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"0","show_post_related":"1","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":""},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25727,25707],"tags":[25747,26279,26598,26413,25929,30231,25987,26755,26990,26538,26349,28539,26680],"class_list":["post-418420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-spotlight","category-world-politics","tag-trade-en","tag-dazi-en","tag-ue-stati-uniti-en","tag-free-exchange-en","tag-india-en-2","tag-maros-sefcovicat","tag-nicola-procaccini-en","tag-ppe-and","tag-renew-europe-en","tag-sd-en-2","tag-stefano-bonaccini-en","tag-value-2"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=418420"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":418456,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418420\/revisions\/418456"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/275731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=418420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=418420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=418420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}