Sanchez warns Trump that the EU is “a global power” and is “prepared to defend its interests”

Eduardo González The president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has responded this Thursday to the intention of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to impose tariffs of 25% on the EU, assuring that “the European Union was not created against anyone” and that, in its condition as “the largest commercial block in the world”, it will know how to “defend its interests” with “proportionate response measures”. “There are those who say that the European Union was created to annoy others, and it is not true”, declared Sánchez during an inauguration of the advanced aerospace manufacturing centre (ADMIRE) of ITP Aero, in Zamudio (Vizcaya). “In fact, a good part of the wealth that this great country that we admire, such as the United States, has today is also thanks to Europe”, he continued. “The European Union was not created against anyone”, he insisted. “On the contrary, it was created in favour of multilateralism and understanding between countries, peace, economic development and social justice,” he added. “It is important to remember that the European Union is a global power,” said the President of the Government. “Today, the European Union is the largest trading bloc in the world, larger than the United States and China. We are the second largest economy in the world and it is the region with the greatest social and environmental development on the planet” and, therefore, “in the face of any type of threat, of regression or closure of the economies, we are going to respond in a completely different way, which is with progress and openness to the world,” he said. “Logically, as the European Commission has said, we are going to defend our interests against those who want to attack the European economies with tariffs that are absolutely unjustified and that also veiledly threaten our economic sovereignty,” Sánchez recalled. “I want to convey that we are determined and prepared to do so. We at the European Union have been working for months, as have the Member States, and we are going to adopt response measures proportionate to this challenge,” he announced. “We will do it together and we will do it with specific help for all sectors of our economies that may be affected as a result of, hopefully not taking place, a trade war that, from a rational point of view and in economic and business interest, is not justified nor do I think it is fair,” he said. Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that the European Union was created “to annoy the United States” and that, for that reason, he has taken the decision, which he will announce “very soon,” to impose tariffs of 25 percent, “in general terms” that “will affect cars and many other things.” These measures will involve a tax on purchases from the EU with rates equivalent to those that Europe imposes on American exports. According to Trump, the reason for the imposition of these tariffs is the deficit of close to 300 billion dollars that the United States has with the twenty-seven member states of the EU. In addition, according to the US Trade Office website, the United States will have a trade deficit in goods with the European Union of $235.6 billion in 2024. Brussels assures that it will react “firmly and immediately” For his part, the spokesman for Trade of the European Commission, Olof Gill, declared this Thursday that Europe will not allow its companies, workers and consumers to be harmed by unilateral tariffs imposed by the United States and warned that the EU will react “firmly and immediately” to any unjustified trade barrier. According to the spokesman, “the European Union is the largest free market in the world and has been a blessing for the United States”, because it has “facilitated trade, reduced costs for American exporters and harmonized rules and regulations”. “Europe defends dialogue, openness and reciprocity. We are willing to partner if the rules are respected”, Gill continued. “We should work together to preserve these opportunities for our people and our businesses. Not against each other,” he added.

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