EU Lawmaker Urges Swift Retaliation Against Trump's Tariff Hike

A senior European lawmaker is urging immediate EU countermeasures in response to U.S. President Trump's tariff hike threat. Despite ongoing negotiations and EU concessions, tariffs on European imports were raised from 20% to 30%, prompting calls for EU action against what are considered 'unfair trade practices.'

In a fervent appeal, a senior European lawmaker has called for the European Union to enact swift countermeasures against the United States following President Donald Trump's escalated tariff threats. The EU had been diligently negotiating with Washington for over three weeks, making significant concessions in the process.

Despite these efforts, tariffs on European imports were alarmingly increased from an initial 20% on April imports to 30%, a move described as 'brazen and disrespectful' by Bernd Lange, the head of the European Parliament's trade committee, in an interview with Reuters.

Lange emphasized that Europe must stand firm against what he labeled as 'unfair trade practices,' advocating for the immediate activation of the first list of countermeasures, with additional responses to follow promptly. The situation remains tense as Europe seeks to defend its trading interests.

(With inputs from agencies.)