US President Donald Trump has threatened to slap higher tariffs on European goods if the EU misses a July 4 deadline to approve a trade deal with Washington.
The heading is a bit confusing. The committee voted in favour of the agreement: zero tariffs for imports of US products into the EU and 15% tariffs for importing EU goods into the US. In addition to opening the EU market to US agricultural products.
I mean, the choice is basically between 15% tarrifs in the US and 0% in the EU, or more in both. Both hurt the EU, but the latter hurts the EU more - it just also hurts the US more.
I think the idea of “hurt” deserves some embellishment. Politicians and financiers in Europe are not willing to internalize the potential hardship of making a clean break from the U.S. NATO is still the current paradigm even though the United States shits on it all the time. As long as Russia remains a bogey man, the U.S. will be able to game European politics.
They didn’t agree to zero tariffs on US imports, many US goods have been tariffed for decades. It scraps tariffs for specific US goods. It also doesn’t agree to a blanket 15% tariff rate but rather caps US tariffs to 15%
The heading is a bit confusing. The committee voted in favour of the agreement: zero tariffs for imports of US products into the EU and 15% tariffs for importing EU goods into the US. In addition to opening the EU market to US agricultural products.
That is an objectively bad ““agreement””. It makes us more dependent. Why shouldn’t we do the reverse?
Europe has a weak negotiation position because it’s not willing to hurt itself.
I dunno, this is very willing to hurt itself.
I mean, the choice is basically between 15% tarrifs in the US and 0% in the EU, or more in both. Both hurt the EU, but the latter hurts the EU more - it just also hurts the US more.
I’d prefer the latter. Europe must grow more sovereign, and the US becoming more dependent on us would help.
I think the idea of “hurt” deserves some embellishment. Politicians and financiers in Europe are not willing to internalize the potential hardship of making a clean break from the U.S. NATO is still the current paradigm even though the United States shits on it all the time. As long as Russia remains a bogey man, the U.S. will be able to game European politics.
That’s increadibly stupid. 15% import tarrifs from EU to the US, sure, but right back at 'em. 15% into EU. Anything else is capitulation.
They didn’t agree to zero tariffs on US imports, many US goods have been tariffed for decades. It scraps tariffs for specific US goods. It also doesn’t agree to a blanket 15% tariff rate but rather caps US tariffs to 15%