The commissioner’s comments came a day after Trump threatened to hit the EU with sweeping 25-percent tariffs "on cars and all other things," provoking fury across the Atlantic — with politicians saying the time had come for Brussels to retaliate.
“We will not let ourselves be bullied, not with tariffs nor with threats about our legislation,” said Bernd Lange, a usually mild-mannered German Social Democrat who chairs the European Parliament’s international trade committee.
Trump’s broadside was a distillation of the trade grievances he had aired on the campaign trail and that he has stepped up since taking office a month ago.
He again complained that Europe didn’t buy U.S. cars or food and lamented America's huge transatlantic trade deficit, which he pegged at a vastly exaggerated $300 billion.
They have done a good job of it, but now I am president.”.
"The EU wasn’t formed to screw anyone," retorted Polish PM Donald Tusk in a post on X.
It was formed to maintain peace, to build respect among our nations, to create free and fair trade, and to strengthen our transatlantic friendship. »
