World leaders strongly reacted after President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced far-reaching new tariffs on nearly all US trading partners — a 34 per cent tax on imports from China and 20 per cent on the European Union, among others — that threaten to dismantle much of the architecture of the global economy and trigger broader trade wars.
Here’s how world leaders reacted:
Shortly after Trump's announcement, the British government said the United States remains the UK's “closest ally.” Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the UK hoped to strike a trade deal to “mitigate the impact” of the 10% tariffs on British goods announced by Trump.
“Nobody wants a trade war and our intention remains to secure a deal," said Reynolds and added that "But nothing is off the table and the government will do everything necessary to defend the UK's national interest.”
Giorgia Meloni calls 20 per cent tariffs ‘wrong’
Italy's conservative Premier Giorgia Meloni described the new 20 per cent tariffs against the European Union as “wrong,” saying they benefit neither side.
“We will do everything we can to work towards an agreement with the United States, with the aim of avoiding a trade war that would inevitably weaken the West in favour of other global players,” Meloni said in a Facebook post.
Brazil's government said it was considering taking the case to the World Trade Organization.
And later, in a rare display of unity, Brazil's Congress unanimously passed a reciprocity bill to allow its government to retaliate against any country or trade bloc that imposes tariffs on Brazilian goods.
Anthony Albanese calls US tariffs ‘totally unwarranted’
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the US tariffs imposed on his country were totally unwarranted, but Australia will not retaliate. “President Trump referred to reciprocal tariffs. A reciprocal tariff would be zero, not 10 per cent,” said Albanese.
New Zealand also reacted strongly to Trump's tariff logic. “We don't have a 20 per cent tariff rate,” said trade minister Todd McClay, adding that New Zealand was “a very low tariff regime” and the correct figure was below the 10 per cent baseline rate applied by the US to all countries.
“We won't be looking to retaliate. That would put up prices on New Zealand consumers and it would be inflationary,” he said.
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would wait to take action on Thursday when it was clear how Trump's announcement would affect Mexico. “It's not a question of if you impose tariffs on me, I'm going to impose tariffs on you,” she said Wednesday morning.
Canada had imposed retaliatory tariffs in response to the 25 per cent tariffs that Trump tied to the trafficking of fentanyl. The European Union, in response to the steel and aluminum tariffs, imposed taxes on 26 billion euros' worth (USD 28 billion) of US goods, including bourbon, prompting Trump to threaten a 200 per cent tariff on European alcohol.
With inputs from PTI
