The White House has announced a new wave of tariffs, set to take effect on April 2, targeting automobiles not made in the United States. President Donald Trump announced that these actions would result in a 25% tariff on imported passenger vans, cars and light trucks. So far, the protectionist announcement has ramped up global trade tensions, as the EU and Canada are reportedly readying their own retaliatory measures.
President Trump’s Justification
President Trump sold the tariffs on the basis that they’re a reaction to these massive, unfair trade deficits. He argues these deficits (“trade infrastructure deficit”) favor the U.S. over its largest trading partners. He threatened that dividends for the EU and Canada might grow during the process. This is true only if they band together in proceedings perceived to be detrimental to the U.S. economy.
“If the European Union works with Canada in order to do economic harm to the USA, large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both in order to protect the best friend that each of those two countries has ever had!” – U.S. President Donald Trump
We expect the revenue collected from these tariffs to top $100 billion annually. This huge windfall will be a tremendous shot in the arm to U.S. treasury coffers. The announcement has sent shockwaves through global markets. Stakeholder Sentiment Shares of both American and Asian automakers have taken a nose dive. And we are supremely confident that European automotive giants will face the same market reaction.
In fact, the new Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, called the move unnecessarily confrontational.
“We will defend our workers, we will defend our companies, we will defend our country, and we will defend it together.” – Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney
The EU’s response has been strategically cautious. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently underscored the EU’s deep proclivity for negotiated settlements. She emphasized their commitment to protect economic interests.
“Tariffs are taxes — bad for businesses, worse for consumers equally in the U.S. and the European Union.” – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
Despite Trump’s aggressive stance, neither the EU nor Canada has issued any statements indicating a plan to unite against the U.S. However, both of these organizations have hinted at their willingness to respond to the new tariffs in kind.
A closely-related third driver is a booming global trade war. Trump’s tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and most notably China have done nothing but drive the trend deeper. These steps have comprised sweeping tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, affecting numerous industries.
These new duties further heighten global trade tensions. Despite all of these concerns, as introduced, they could tangentially and very significantly affect international economic relationships. In the meantime, all eyes are on Washington, looking for more reactions from global markets and political leaders as April 2 draws nearer on the calendar.
What The Author Thinks
The new tariffs are bound to escalate tensions further, not only straining relations with the EU and Canada but also disrupting global trade. While the immediate revenue benefits may be appealing, the broader economic consequences of alienating key trade partners could outweigh these short-term gains. The approach risks deepening the global trade war and destabilizing international relations.
Featured image credit: FMT
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