We are clearly through the looking glass when it comes to the Trump administration
The EU must have a strong and united response to threats from US President Donald Trump that risk unravelling the trade deal between the EU and the United States, according to Social Democrats Foreign Affairs spokesperson Patricia Stephenson.
Senator Stephenson said:
“The latest threats from US President Donald Trump, to impose tariffs on EU and European countries, are hugely alarming and risk unravelling a trade deal between the EU and the United States.
“The EU needs a strong and unified response to make clear that any trade war would be hugely damaging – to both the United States and the EU – but that all options remain on the table should the US go down this damaging road.
“EU countries must also be clear that Danish and Greenlandic sovereignty is not a bargaining chip in any trade negotiations. That is a red line issue that we cannot waver from.
“The EU has done everything it can to try to ameliorate the US administration, which opted to unliterally impose tariffs last year – causing chaos in markets and huge additional expense for businesses.
“It negotiated a deal with that administration in good faith, which was supposed to provide some kind of stability in an incredibly uncertain world. However, Donald Trump has now signalled that he thinks nothing of ripping up that deal and imposing punitive tariffs on EU member states because they won’t accede to his demands to annexe Greenland.
“We are clearly through the looking glass when it comes to the Trump administration and the priority, for this country, must be standing with our EU partners as a strong, decisive and united bloc which will not bow to bully tactics.
“As it stands, the trade deal between the United States and the EU cannot be ratified in circumstances where Trump is promising to demolish it.
“The EU has incredible economic power that can be deployed in the form of retaliatory tariffs. It is our preference not to use those tariffs, and to avoid a trade war, but that option must remain on the table if Trump persists with this belligerent treatment of allies.”