Trump threatens Mexico and EU with 30 percent tariffs
發佈日期: 2025-07-13 21:14
TVB News
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 30 percent tariff on imports from the European Union and Mexico starting on August 1st.
This after weeks of talks with major U.S. trading partners failed to result in comprehensive trade deals.
Canada, Brazil and Japan will also face hefty tariffs if they are unable to secure agreements.
Donald Trump's tariff letters are respectful, one of them to Her Excellency, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
With no apparent hint of irony, he starts off by writing what a "Great Honour" it is for me to send you this letter.
It's all downhill from there as Trump threatens 30 percent tariffs on imports from the 27 EU countries starting from August 1st unless an agreement between the two sides can be reached.
It was one of 23 letters Trump sent to America's trading partners, with Mexico also facing 30 percent duties.
It marked a return to the aggressive tactics Trump used earlier this year when he sent markets into chaos with a flurry of global tariffs before declaring a 90-day pause during which trade deals can be reached.
Despite saying countries were queueing up to talk with the U.S., only three framework agreements have since been agreed -- with Britain, China and Vietnam.
Von der Leyen said in a statement that the 30 percent duty would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, negatively affecting businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic.
She added that the EU would do all it can to safeguard its interests, especially with Trump warning against retaliatory measures while demanding that Europe grant the U.S. complete and open market access.
French President Emmanuel Macron led a chorus of leaders demanding the EU not cave in to such one-sided terms, while Germany wants a quick deal to safeguard industries.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called for calm, saying the letter's aim is to reach a resolution by August 1st and she is confident such a deal can be secured.
The letters were sent a day after Trump threatened 35 percent tariffs on Canada and 50 percent levies on Brazil.
The U.S. leader said duties on Canada and Mexico are, in part, because of the drug fentanyl crossing both borders, even though far more of the narcotic passes through the Mexican border than from the north.
Trump has been emboldened by the fact that the U.S. economy has been largely resilient during the first half of the year, earning around 100 billion U.S. dollars up to June in revenue from his tariff policies.
Markets fell on Friday after the Canada announcement, and investors will keep a nervous eye on sentiment when they reopen after the weekend break.
