UNHCR president Ursula von der Line said on Tuesday that the European Union has a “strong plan” to respond to the American customs duties imposed and imposed, but he prefers negotiating to reach a solution.
The administration of US President Donald Trump imposed customs duties on steel and aluminum imports last March, and the fees imposed on cars increased, a step that will enter into force on Thursday.
Trump is scheduled to announce plans for more anti -customs duties tomorrow, Wednesday.
Concepted consequences
Von der Line expressed an understanding of the logic of the United States about the benefit of other countries from global trade, noting that the European Union suffers from the consequences of this as well, and said it understood the United States’s desire to revive its manufacturing, adding that the European Union wants this as well.
But she said that American customs duties are like taxes on American consumers, will fuel inflation, and will force American factories to pay more money to obtain components, which will lead to a loss of jobs.
“Our goal is to reach a solution through negotiation. But of course – if necessary – we will protect our interests, peoples and companies,” she said in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
She added, “We do not necessarily seek to respond similarly. But if it is necessary, we have a strong plan to respond and we will use it.”
She said that the bloc must diversify the paths of its trade and remove the internal obstacles between its countries in the joint market.
She pointed out that the International Monetary Fund estimated that the internal obstacles in the European market are equivalent to the impact of customs duties by 45% on manufacturing and 110% on services.
She told the deputies that the Commission will put proposals next month to remove some of these obstacles and prevent any new barriers in this regard.
