DONALD Trump has announced a 20% reciprocal tariff on all goods imported from the EU, including Spain.
The Republican leader confirmed the move during a press conference at the White House in Washington DC on Wednesday.
The reciprocal tariffs will be added to a 10% ‘baseline’ levy on all foreign imports, meaning in real terms, the EU is facing 30% tariffs on all goods imported to the US.
During an almost hour-long appearance at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the 78-year-old branded the EU ‘pathetic’, claiming the Bloc has ‘ripped us off’ for years.
He said the US has been ‘looted, pillaged, raped, plundered’ by other nations during his 4pm speech (local time) – which conveniently came after US markets had closed for the day.
The baseline 10% tariff on all goods imported from foreign nations will come into effect on April 5. The ‘worst offenders’ will then pay their own tariffs on top from April 9.
China was at the top of Trump’s ‘offender list’, and will pay an extra 34% in tariffs, while Vietnam faces its own levy of 46% and Japan 24%.
The UK got off more lightly compared to the EU and Asia, with Trump applying a 10% tariff on all British imports into the US.
The move is a response to Britain’s baseline 20% VAT rate, which the Trump administration qualifies as a tariff.
Trump also announced 25% tariffs on foreign car imports, which will come into effect ‘at midnight tonight’.
He insisted the move would reenergise the country’s automobile industry and ‘make America great again.’
Justifying the tariffs, Trump claimed blue collar workers had ‘suffered greatly’ for years while ‘foreign countries stole our jobs’ and ‘destroyed the American dream.’
He said he expected ‘complaints from the globalists and fake news’ over the ‘next few days’.
He added: ‘Everyone is gonna fight (this)… but I say to leaders ”you take care of your people… but I’ve gotta take care of mine”.’
Earlier on Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez vowed to ‘protect Spain’s businesses and workers’ and ‘support an open world.’
It came after he sat down with industry leaders and trade unions ahead of Trump’s press conference.
The Socialist PSOE leader wrote on X: ‘Today I met with our country’s leading employers and unions to discuss the tariffs proposed by the US administration and the possible domestic and European response.
‘Spain will protect its businesses and workers and continue to champion an open world.’
