In the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump announcing that tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum will increase by 25 percent, Poland had some harsh words.
Trump has made clear that the U.S. will impose the same level of tariffs imposed on American products, stating, “Very simply, it’s if they charge us, we charge them.”
Janusz Lewandowski, MEP of the Civic Platform (PO), commented on the matter in an interview with RMF FM, as cited by Do Rzeczy.
“There has been a team in the European Commission preparing retaliation for Trump’s tariffs for a long time. However, we do not know whether this is his negotiating position or whether it will come into effect,” said the former EU commissioner.
Adding that the EU “has learned to live with Trump,” he said there are no winners in a trade war, and Brussels is counting on easing the conflict.
“We know that Trump did not win previous tariff wars and lives in nostalgia from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when the U.S. lived off tariffs. We are ready for war, but we do not want it. We need a transatlantic bond in the face of real threats. In the case of the U.S., these are Chinese and Russian threats, in ours, Putin’s imperialism, which may not stop in Ukraine,” said Lewandowski.
“We got to know Trump during his previous term. He turns some words into actions, others not,” the MEP continued, noting that possible retaliation was being taken seriously. However, if the United States is willing to negotiate, other routes are possible, he said, such as increasing imports of liquefied gas from the U.S.
“We need this gas since we gave up on Russian gas. We are able to withstand this war, but why do we need it? Trade wars impoverish both sides,” said Lewandowski.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has also commented on Trump’s announcement, saying that he was not surprised.
“Polish aluminum exports to the United States amount to 411 tons, while to other countries, 264,000 tons,” he said, adding, “We are not panicking, but we are preparing well for the possible consequences of higher tariffs.”
Tusk also announced representatives of EU countries will be discussing the matter today to reach a common position.
“I believe that as Poland, as the EU, we should respond in a balanced way. It is worth doing everything to avoid unnecessary trade and customs wars because this brings negative consequences for producers and consumers,” he said, noting that the EU must “act in solidarity.”
