Von der Leyen Says Countries Are Queuing to Trade with EU Instead of US
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that countries are ‘lining up’ to trade with the EU after President Donald Trump imposed higher tariffs on US imports.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Politico.
According to the publication, in recent weeks, Ursula von der Leyen has spoken with leaders from Iceland, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Canada, India, and the United Arab Emirates, who are looking for ‘strong, reliable partners’.
‘In an increasingly unpredictable global environment, countries are lining up to work with us,’ she said.
According to her, the world order is ‘shifting deeper than at any time since the end of the Cold War’.
Trump announced the introduction of reciprocal tariffs on 2 April - imposing a 20% duty on the EU and a 10% base duty on most other countries. When financial markets collapsed a week later, Trump suspended the higher tariffs for 90 days.
In the case of the EU, the 10% tariff is still in place, as well as an additional 25% on steel, aluminium and automotive exports.
Von der Leyen, on the other hand, emphasises Europe's stability. In the face of such turmoil, she said, confidence in the EU is growing, particularly among the bloc's citizens - she cited a Eurobarometer poll that showed support for EU membership at 74%, the highest level in 40 years.
‘This says something. In the midst of chaos, Europe remains resilient, based on values, ready to shape the future,’ the European Commission President said.
Recently, White House economic adviser Kevin Gassett said that the United States has made ‘tremendous progress’ in negotiations with the EU on tariffs.
But the European side, according to media reports, did not receive more clarity on when the US would be ready to lift its tariffs after talks earlier in the week.
On 17 April, Trump expressed optimism about the prospects for a trade deal between the US and the European Union.
Trump also received a visit from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and before that, he spoke with Ursula von der Leyen.
As The Gaze reported earlier, on 2 April, US President Donald Trump officially announced the start of a trade war with all countries of the world simultaneously, announcing tariffs of 10% to 50% on imports to the US depending on the country of origin.