A European trade commissioner said Europe is preparing an “arsenal” of measures to strike back if President Trump carries through on his plan to place tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, saying it’s “each man for himself,” according to a report.
“If Donald Trump puts in place the measures this evening, we have a whole arsenal at our disposal with which to respond,” European Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said Thursday, Reuters reported.
Europe could place levies on oranges, tobacco and bourbon, as well as file a complaint with the World Trade Organization, Moscovici said.
“We must accept that the world becomes a place of each man for himself,” he said.
Moscovici said the goods targeted for the European levies are being selected to have the greatest impact on Republican strongholds.
“We want Congress to understand that this would be a lose-lose situation,” he said.
Trump, defying his Republican colleagues in Congress and the advice of many members of his White House staff, could impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum as early as Thursday afternoon.
In a tweet early Thursday, Trump promoted his meeting later in the afternoon and said the country must “protect and build” the steel and aluminum industries, while being flexible for those who “treat us fairly on both trade and the military.”
The White House has said that Canada and Mexico may be exempted from the tariffs because of national security concerns.
The floating of the exemption is seen as a bargaining tool to persuade the two countries to be more open in their negotiations with the US over the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there is a “level of confidence” that Canada will receive a waiver because of its close relationship with the United States.
“The president has said look, if we get to a position where we have successfully renegotiated NAFTA, there won’t be any tariffs for Canada, we are going see what he actually announces later today,” Trudeau said in a television interview.