Trump’s tariffs: Habeck demands hard EU course against Washington

The executive Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck calls for a signal of strength to Donald Trump’s customs policy before the meeting of the EU Handels Minister Council. “We can only encounter politics of fear with strength,” said the Greens politician star. “The US government wants to use its dominance to force concessions and gain advantages.”

With incomprehensible customs increases, other states should be made to make offers to make the Trump government milder-in the hope that the tariffs will not become as high anymore, according to Habeck. “The US tactics: scare as much as possible so that the others crash out of fear.”

The Minister of Economic Affairs demanded a comprehensive reaction and indicated that measures against digital companies could also be necessary. “As an EU, we are the largest common internal market in the world. US companies want to do business with us, sell their products here, the US digital companies make large sales in Europe. Europe is strong, and in the alliance with others we are even stronger,” he said. “I therefore support the clear attitude of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: Be ready to countermeasures and negotiate confidently.”

Habeck emphasized that Europe also had to have talks with other countries in order to be able to open up other markets. “We should coordinate with other economic areas – for example with Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Canada.” He will be advised on the Council of Commerce Ministers of Ministers with the EU colleagues.

The former EU commissioner had previously had. “This would particularly affect tech giants like Amazon or Elon Musks X,” said the Christian Democrat. “Of course, a digital tax would make the product more expensive for the users, but conversely also make the income and profits of the large platforms. The amount of the fee should depend on the intensity of use.”

Europeans should also be prepared in every respect to seek de -escalation in addition to the escalation and to drive back the tariffs, Oettinger warned.

Verena Hubertz, Vice Group Chairman of the SPD, also advocated digital tax. “If we succeed in finding a measure that hits US companies without damaging the European digital economy, I am very much for it,” she told that star. “President Trump should not confuse military power with trade power. The EU internal market with 449 million inhabitants is one of the power that an American president cannot ignore. We are well prepared and capable of acting for determined countermeasures.”