President Donald J. Trump warned Thursday of possible increases in tariffs on European Union auto imports to the United States if the EU fails to negotiate “in good faith” at talks starting July 25.
Trump held a previously unscheduled press conference Thursday morning from the NATO conference in Brussels, Belgium.
While answering a question from CNN, Trump said, “I have great respect for Germany. My father’s from Germany. Both of my parents are from the EU despite the fact they don’t treat us well on trade, but I think that’ll change also.”
“And I think we’ll see that because on the 25th of July they’re coming in to start negotiations with me,” said Trump. “We’ll see.”
“If they don’t negotiate in good faith we’ll do something having to do with all of the millions of cars that are coming into our country and being taxed at a virtually zero level, at a very low level,” Trump warned.
German automakers called on the EU in late June to drop its 10 percent import tariff on U.S. and other countries’ autos. They also called for the U.S. to drop any tariffs on auto imports from the EU.
President Trump has warned the EU to reduce tariffs on U.S. auto exports to the European Union. If they do not then the U.S. would respond with tariffs of 20 percent on EU automobiles.
On June 26 Trump wrote, “We are finishing our study of Tariffs on cars from the E.U. in that they have long taken advantage of the U.S. in the form of Trade Barriers and Tariffs. In the end it will all even out – and it won’t take very long!”
….We are finishing our study of Tariffs on cars from the E.U. in that they have long taken advantage of the U.S. in the form of Trade Barriers and Tariffs. In the end it will all even out – and it won’t take very long!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2018
That followed his warning from a few days earlier, “Based on the Tariffs and Trade Barriers long placed on the U.S. & its great companies and workers by the European Union, if these Tariffs and Barriers are not soon broken down and removed, we will be placing a 20% Tariff on all of their cars coming into the U.S. Build them here!”
Based on the Tariffs and Trade Barriers long placed on the U.S. & its great companies and workers by the European Union, if these Tariffs and Barriers are not soon broken down and removed, we will be placing a 20% Tariff on all of their cars coming into the U.S. Build them here!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 23, 2018
The EU appeared to escalate the debate when in early July it threatened major retaliatory tariffs on up to $300 billion in U.S. goods over the threats of more tariffs on EU autos.
Trump’s Thursday press conference comments from the NATO summit portrayed a “we’ll see” approach to the upcoming July 25 trade negotiations with the EU.
Michelle Moons is a White House Correspondent for Breitbart News — follow on Twitter @MichelleDiana and Facebook
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