Trump issues "ultimatum" to EU, Canada, warns of stronger taxes

(Dan Tri) - US President Donald Trump warned of further tax increases on EU and Canadian goods, a development that shows trade tensions in the Western bloc are heating up.

US President Donald Trump (Photo: Reuters).

US President Donald Trump said on March 27 that Washington would impose higher tariffs on the European Union (EU) and Canada if the two sides cooperated to harm the US economy.

"If the EU joins forces with Canada to harm the United States, massive tariffs, much higher than currently planned, will be imposed on both sides to protect the best friend they have ever had," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Earlier, on March 26, Mr. Trump announced a 25% tax on imported cars into the US, expanding the global trade war and facing criticism and warnings of retaliation from Washington's affected allies.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the move “bad for businesses and worse for consumers,” while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called it a “direct attack” on Canadian workers. He said Ottawa was considering retaliatory measures.

The new tariffs on cars and light trucks will take effect on April 3, a day after Mr. Trump is expected to announce reciprocal tariffs targeting countries most responsible for the U.S. trade deficit.

The measures add to tariffs already imposed on steel, aluminum and goods from Mexico, Canada and China.

The EU said it would delay its first round of retaliation until mid-April, which included a 50% tariff on US bourbon. In response, Mr Trump threatened to impose a 200% tariff on all wine and other alcoholic beverages from the EU if the bloc went ahead with the plan.

President Trump has repeatedly defended his tariff policies, arguing that the measures will help revive US manufacturing and protect domestic jobs.

In his recent speech to Congress, Mr. Trump emphasized that tariffs are part of his economic strategy: "Tariffs are to protect the soul of America. Tariffs are to make America rich and great again. And it's happening. It's happening quickly. There's going to be a little bit of turmoil, but we're OK with that."

Meanwhile, the EU has warned that these measures could harm both economies.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ong-trump-ra-toi-hau-thu-cho-eu-canada-canh-bao-danh-thue-manh-hon-20250327143546575.htm