Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Germany’s Merz Warns EU Is Ready to Retaliate Against US Tariff Threats


(MENAFN) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday asserted that the European Union is prepared to respond firmly if the United States threatens new tariffs.

“We are neither naive nor defenseless. We have instruments at hand,” Merz told CEOs and senior industry leaders at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, Belgium. “To counter unfair practices, we will use them, if necessary.”

Merz referred to last month’s tensions between the US and EU over Denmark’s Arctic territory of Greenland, noting that President Donald Trump abandoned plans for additional tariffs after EU leaders presented a united stance.

“You might remember what happened in this famous week of Davos,” he said, recalling the emergency summit convened by EU leaders to coordinate countermeasures. “As long as the American government was on the way to implement new tariffs on the European partners, we were ready to act.”

He added, “And if the Americans had not withdrawn until then, their threat of new tariffs, we were ready to implement these countermeasures. Again, we are not naive and we are not defenseless.” Merz underscored that the EU’s strength lies in acting collectively.

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