DIVISIONS AND MIXED SIGNALS
With European shares additionally tumbling to the largest weekly losses in years, the European Union’s commerce commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, mentioned he held a “frank” two-hour name with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and US Commerce Consultant Jamieson Greer.
“I used to be clear: US tariffs are damaging, unjustified,” Sefcovic wrote on social media. “The EU’s dedicated to significant negotiations but in addition ready to defend our pursuits.”
The EU is split on how finest to reply to Trump’s tariffs. Nations cautious about retaliating and thereby elevating the stakes within the standoff with the US embrace Eire, Italy, Poland and the Scandinavian nations.
French President Emmanuel Macron led the cost on Thursday by calling on firms to freeze funding within the US.
Nevertheless, French Finance Minister Eric Lombard later cautioned towards like-for-like countermeasures on the US tariffs, warning this may additionally rebound on European shoppers.
The US tariffs may jack up the worth for US consumers of all the things from bananas to trainers to Apple’s iPhone. A high-end iPhone may price almost US$2,300 if Apple passes the prices on to shoppers, primarily based on projections from Rosenblatt Securities.
China is retaliating for Trump’s tariffs on imports from the world’s No 2 economic system. The European Union faces a 20 per cent obligation.
Trump says “reciprocal” tariffs are a response to limitations placed on US items, whereas administration officers mentioned the tariffs would create manufacturing jobs at residence and open up export markets overseas, though they cautioned it could take time to see outcomes.
