6 months ago
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump connected Thursday threatened a 200% tariff connected European wine, champagne and spirits if the European Union goes guardant with a planned tariff connected American whiskey.
The European tariff, which was unveiled successful effect to alloy and aluminum tariffs by the U.S. administration, was expected to spell into effect connected April 1.
But Trump, successful a greeting societal media post, vowed a caller escalation successful his commercialized warfare if the EU pushes up with the planned 50% tariff connected American whiskey.
“If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. volition soon spot a 200% Tariff connected each WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES,” Trump wrote. “This volition beryllium large for the Wine and Champagne businesses successful the U.S.”
The Republican president connected Wednesday had signaled that helium intended to instrumentality the action.
“Of people I volition respond,” Trump told reporters during an Oval Office speech with reporters.
Trump, successful announcing the caller alloy and aluminum tariffs connected Wednesday, openly challenged U.S. allies and vowed to instrumentality backmost wealthiness “stolen” by different countries, and helium drew speedy retaliation.
He has abstracted tariffs connected Canada, Mexico and China, with plans to besides taxation imports from the European Union, Brazil and South Korea by charging “reciprocal” rates starting connected April 2.
The EU announced its ain countermeasures. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that arsenic the United States was “applying tariffs worthy 28 cardinal dollars, we are responding with countermeasures worthy 26 cardinal euros,” oregon astir $28 billion.
Those measures screen not conscionable alloy and aluminum products but besides textiles, location appliances and cultivation goods.
U.S. bourbon makers, meanwhile, urged Trump to backmost disconnected his commercialized war.
“The US-EU spirits assemblage is the exemplary for just and reciprocal trade, having zero-for-zero tariffs since 1997,” Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council, said successful a statement. “We impulse President Trump to unafraid a spirits statement with the EU to get america backmost to zero-for-zero tariffs, which volition make U.S. jobs and summation manufacturing and exports for the American hospitality sector. We privation toasts not tariffs.”
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AP writer Mike Warren contributed reporting.
