The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wrote today (April 3) saying, "The broad-based tariffs announced by the United States have dealt a significant blow to global businesses and consumers. Europe is ready to respond. We will always protect our interests and values. We are also prepared to engage. From confrontation to negotiation."
Von der Leyen's statement emphasized that the EU is "ready to respond," while calling for negotiations. She has previously stated multiple times that the EU has "many cards," including technology, market size, and countermeasures in the service sector (such as restricting access to US tech companies in the EU market), but prefers to avoid a full-scale trade war through negotiations.
Trump's "transactional diplomacy" simplifies ally relationships into economic interest exchanges, such as accusing NATO allies of insufficient defense spending and stating that the establishment of the EU aims to "take advantage of the US." This attitude accelerates the disintegration of transatlantic trust, prompting the EU to accelerate its efforts to reduce dependence on the US.
No matter what, the high tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on the EU have dealt a heavy blow!
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1828356735909955/
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