EU countries are considering three main variants of answering possible changes in the US trade policy.
Photo: RIA Novosti / Aleksey Vitvitskiy
Active discussions on how to react to plans of US President Donald Trump to introduce a 20 percent duty on imported goods in the US are held in EU countries, the German Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported.
The Europeans consider three variants for answering possible changes in the US trade policy, Cerstin Gammelin, an author of the article, noted.
First of all, EU states themselves could subsidize their enterprises in order to save the companies from additional costs for new duties. In addition, companies would manage to remain competitive. However, this variant would hit the budget of European countries.
Secondly, the Europeans can make a complaint against the US to the World Trade Organization (WTO). But in this case, they should remember about the fact that the process of resolving a dispute within the framework of this organization can take several years, and, at the same time, the outcome remains unclear, Gammelin reminded.
Finally, the EU can strike back in kind by increasing duties on goods from the US, but this is difficult to do. This would require an approval by the WTO and consent of all EU members. EU states cannot introduce additional duties unilaterally, as issues of the trade policy are decided by supranational bodies of the block, the author noted.
In this situation, it is more profitable for the Europeans to discuss problems in the trade relations with Trump in advance. Before a meeting with Trump in Washington, German Chancellor Angela Merkel prefers to avoid stern wording and hopes to find a compromise. Washington, in contrast, does not skimp on harsh statements. Trump’s trade advisor Peter Navarro described the balance of visible trade with Germany as a “serious problem.”
According to Gammelin, Trump in his usual manner hopes to make deals with European countries separately, leaving out the EU authorities. However, Merkel strongly opposes such an approach, insisting that the trade policy’s issues are under the jurisdiction of the supranational bodies. But, according to the author of the article, it is unlikely that Merkel will be able to change the US president’s mind.
Earlier, Trump repeatedly said about his intention to introduce protective duties on the import of certain goods in the US, including the import of cars of German manufacturers. In this way, the US President plans to stimulate production growth in the US itself and create new jobs.
There is even more reason now for sanity to return to the EU fantasy land. The EU elite must apologise to Russia for the outrageous sanctions and baseless accusations . The Ukraine issue and failed state was fostered by the US for their own elite’s money grabbing and aggressive geo political policies.
Russia is not a military threat to the EU, in fact who in their right minds would want to occupy a de facto bankrupt group of countries with massive immigration problems, social problems and civil unrest. Complete with men wearing makeup and dresses and women who want a penis.
The governments of the EU would also need to rein in the NATO ‘Lets go to war ‘ element and demand that the US military leaves Europe and withdraw EU soldier boys and girls to the lines agreed after the fall of the Berlin wall. Buggering about in tanks and things on the Russian borders to please a few backward and small Eastern European countries is ( including Poland) rather crass.
It is time for adults to take charge , make friends with Russia that has huge potential for FAIR trade and tell the US to keep all their overpriced and sub standard weapons and trashy exports to the EU.
Merkel presumes herself to be the de facto head of the European Union and its real chief negotiator. Sure, Mekel is leader of the dominant economic member state, but in claiming to represent the EU membership, she has huge conflict of interest, in that she is also a hardcore lobbyist for the German corporate sector’s market advantages.
So she is going to be really frothing at the mouth if Trump slams any import duties on pride of the German corporates – their auto sector. Merkel herself has repeatedly lobbied hard for German car manufacture’s special treatment in US, acting as virtual emissary for VW. Previously, directly meeting with Governor of California to try and get their state exhaust emissions legislation reduced favorably to German auto imports in lucrative Californian market. Merkel will not be happy with any of this… :(
The EU dwarfs cannot even tame a middle power like Turkey how could they hope to wage a trade war against the US ?