Trump slaps 25% tariffs on EU imports, as he says European bloc was 'formed to screw us'
27 February 2025, 06:07 | Updated: 27 February 2025, 06:17
Donald Trump has announced 25% tariffs on imports from the EU, as he said the bloc was "formed to screw" the USA.
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The US president, who is known for his protectionist trade policies, said that the EU had "taken advantage" of the US and that the tariffs would be brought in "very soon".
“It will be 25 per cent, generally speaking, and that will be on cars and all other things," he told his Cabinet appointees.
He said: "The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States, that’s the purpose of it.
"And they’ve done a good job of it. But now I’m president."
Mr Trump was likely referring to the import taxes that the EU charges on US goods such as cars and food.
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Asked if the EU could retaliate with their own tariffs, Mr Trump said: "“They can’t - I mean they can try, but they can’t.”
The US imports more from the EU than the EU does from the US - known as a trade deficit.
Mr Trump's tariffs, which he is also imposing on other countries like Canada, Mexico and China, are an attempt to reduce imports and boost business for domestic companies.
But many economists have warned they could be disastrous for the US and global economies, and will push up prices for American consumers.
It is unclear if the UK will be subject to tariffs, as its trade relationship with the US is more balanced.
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Total trade between the US and UK was £294 billion in 2024.
A key stumbling point would be the UK charging VAT, as Mr Trump has vowed to bring in reciprocal levies on all countries that tax US companies.
Asked about tariffs as he flew to the US for a meeting with Mr Trump on Ukraine, Keir Starmer said he was "not going to get ahead of our discussions".
He told reporters: "We’ve got a balanced book as it were, when it comes to trade. We’ve got strong trade, millions and millions of pounds either way with the US."
Woody Johnson, the former ambassador to the UK, warned LBC that agriculture standards remain a barrier to agreeing a trade deal.
"I would start with food, whether it's chlorinated chicken or whatever your regulations are to not import American agriculture," he told Henry Riley.
"Because I don't think without, unless something changes with agriculture, you're not going to get a deal."
Peter Mandelson, the British ambassador to the US, said the two countries "don't need to fight over... trade".
He told a reception in Washington on Wednesday evening: "The US and the United Kingdom, we basically share everything together.
"We share people, we share cultures, we share a lot of intelligence, we share technologies, and... we also share some of the fighting of our adversaries as well.
"And of course one thing we don't need to fight over is trade, because we have this fantastically fair and balanced trade relationship when we reciprocate so much - that's just a little thing for you to remember in the coming weeks."
Mr Trump has imposed 10% tariffs on imports from China, and 25% on Canada and Mexico, although these have been suspended as he reviews their governments' efforts to secure the borders with the US.
He has also announced 25% tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminium.