Europe did not start the US confrontation over duties
Von der Laienne: countermeasures if needed for duties
Europe did not launch a US confrontation with the US for duties, European Commission President Ursula von der Laien said, stressing that if the EU is needed it is ready to proceed with countermeasures.
Speaking shortly before the European Parliament, he stressed that “we have everything we need to protect our people and our well -being.”
He stressed the EU’s negotiating power, stating that the effort would always be to protect its interests.
“We have the largest single market in the world. We have the power to negotiate. We have the power to repel. And the peoples of Europe must know: Together we will promote and always defend our interests and values. And we will always defend Europe, “he said.
So far, the US government has announced an increase of 25% of duties on imports of steel, aluminum, cars and car spare parts.
The next areas that will impose duties will be semiconductors, medicines and timber.
The EU said is expecting tomorrow’s announcement of new US duties.
“Tomorrow we expect a new announcement – with the so -called ‘reciprocal’ duties that will apply directly to almost all goods and many countries in the world. Of course there are serious issues in the world of trade, “he added.
“Duties are taxes for Americans in their grocery stores and medicines. The duties will simply feed inflation. Just the opposite of what we want to achieve. US factories will pay more for accessories produced in Europe. This will cost jobs. It will create a bureaucratic monster of new customs processes. And today no one needs this – neither in the US nor in Europe, “he said.
EU strategy
According to von der Layen, the EU strategy is based on three pillars. First, he noted, “We are open to negotiations. We will approach these negotiations from a position of power. Europe has a lot of papers. From trade to technology to the size of our market. But this power is also based on our readiness to receive firmly countermeasures. All the instruments are on the table. “
Secondly, he added: “We will continue to differentiate our transactions with other partners. Our characteristic is not only that we are the largest market in the world, but that we are reliable and predictable. We honor our commitments. And that’s exactly what our partners are looking for today. ” And third, “we will double our single market. The single market is the cornerstone of European integration and values. It is our powerful catalyst for growth, prosperity and solidarity. We need to break down the remaining obstacles to have a single market to become large, because the scale is important. And a single market to go quickly and go away. “
He announced that he had already contacted the heads of state and governments for the next steps. “We have the parliamentary debate today. And we will carefully evaluate tomorrow’s announcements to calibrate our answer. “
“Our goal is a solution through negotiations. But of course, if necessary, we will protect our interests, our people and our companies. I want to be very clear about the goal of our answer. We think that this confrontation is not in the interest of anyone. The flow of goods and services between us is almost balanced. We are willing to work on the trade balance of goods and services. This is the largest and most prosperous commercial relationship in the world. We would all be better if we could find a constructive solution. At the same time, it must also be clear: Europe has not begun this confrontation, “he said.
We will open doors to rapidly growing purchases
The second element of our strategy, he stressed, is differentiation. “Trade goes where the business affair is. We will open doors to the rapidly growing markets around the world. Europe has already entered into trade agreements with 76 countries. And now we are developing this network. We have just completed trade agreements with Mercosur, Mexico and Switzerland. We started the first partnership of net trade and investment with South Africa. Our goal is to conclude a trade agreement with India by the end of the year. We are in strong negotiations with Indonesia and Thailand, “he noted
He also said that the EU insists on the single market, describing the cornerstone of growth and prosperity.
He argued that there are still obstacles and the aim is to abolish the market barriers and the trade to be free.