US President Donald Trump has threatened the EU and Canada with “large scale” tariffs if they collaborate to economically harm the US.
“If the European Union works with Canada in order to do economic harm to the USA, large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both in order to protect the best friend that each of those two countries has ever had!,” Trump said in a post on the social media platform Truth Social on Thursday.
Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday imposing 25 percent tariffs on imports of foreign-made cars and light trucks as he continued his global import duty push.
Trump's announcement was met with immediate backlash and raised concerns among important global trade allies.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed deep regrets in response to the latest tariffs.
“I deeply regret the US decision to impose tariffs on EU automotive exports. Tariffs are taxes – bad for businesses, worse for consumers, in the US and the EU,” she said on X.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney called the move a “direct attack” on Canadian workers. “We will defend our workers. We will defend our companies. We will defend our country – and we will defend it together,” he said.
China, on the other hand, criticised Trump’s decision.
"There are no winners in a trade war or a tariff war. No country's development and prosperity has been achieved by imposing tariffs," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news briefing.
Trump said the tariffs are going to spur growth, with the White expecting to raise $100 billion in annual revenue.
