Robert Habeck, Germany’s Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister, has urged the European Union (EU) to react strongly to President Donald Trump’s import tariffs on cars. Habeck said that Europe must not give in to the US pressures and show strength and self-confidence. The EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also warned that the tariffs would hamper businesses and negatively affect consumers. France’s Finance Minister Eric Lombard stated that the EU’s only solution would be to raise tariffs on US products.

The UK is not considering retaliatory measures at this stage. Japan has expressed regret over the tariffs, while South Korea is planning to take emergency action with major automakers to prepare a comprehensive response. Elon Musk, the head of Tesla, admitted that the tariffs would increase the cost of parts in his company’s cars.

The Center for Automotive Research estimated that the tariffs could increase car prices by thousands of dollars and impact jobs. Peter Navarro, Trump’s senior trade counselor, dismissed these concerns, arguing that foreign trade cheaters had turned America’s manufacturing sector into a low wage assembly operation for foreign parts.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-urges-strong-response-to-trump-s-auto-tariffs/a-72052735?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf