Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) spoke at a news conference held in conjunction with the right-wing party’s local election cruise in Tallinn, Estonia, on Sunday, 2 February 2025. Orpo on Saturday told STT that the EU must respond to possible tariffs from the US strongly, in unison and with resolve. (Vesa Moilanen – Lehtikuva)
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PRIME MINISTER Petteri Orpo (NCP) has voiced his concern about the tariffs brandished by US President Donald Trump.
“This is naturally a very serious situation. We’ve already seen that he’s also implementing his trade policy threats. But we’ve yet to see any concrete proposals [vis-a-vis the EU],” Orpo commented to STT on Saturday.
The EU, he emphasised, must respond to the measures strongly, in unison and with resolve, as well as coordinate its response and consider its bargaining position.
Trump on Friday confirmed that he intends to impose tariffs of 25 per cent on imports from Canada and Mexico, and 10 per cent on imports from China. The tariffs are set to enter into effect on Tuesday, 4 February 2025. Tariffs on oil and natural gas imports from yet to be announced countries are expected to enter into effect around the midway point of the month.
On Friday, he also pledged to “absolutely” impose tariffs on goods brought in from the EU, accusing the 27-country bloc of treating the US “so terribly”. The transactional president is reportedly eager to negotiate deals separately with each member state, a desire analysts have attributed to an attempt to undermine the unity of the union on one hand and to recognition of the union’s weakness relative to individual member states.
An EU spokesperson said the bloc would respond “firmly to any trading partner that unfairly or arbitrarily imposes tariffs on EU goods,” according to France 24. “Tariffs create unnecessary economic disruption and drive inflation. They are hurtful to all sides,” the spokesperson said.
On Sunday, Trump said the bloc would face the tariffs fairly soon.
EU leaders will discuss the issue in their informal summit on Monday, Orpo said to STT on Saturday. The heads of state will, for example, mull over the bloc’s position and response if the tariffs are indeed implemented.
The EU must prepare for the tariffs thoroughly, he stressed.
Orpo stated that the bloc is prepared satisfy its demand for liquefied natural gas by importing large quantities from the US. “This is one example of how we can even out the trade balance with the US,” he said.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
