China and Europe vow to respond to US's tariff war

President Donald Trump declared that foreign trade and economic practices have created a national emergency, and his order imposes responsive tariffs to strengthen the international economic position of the United States and protect American workers.

 

   The president of the United States said on April 2, 2025, on a new global trading order announcement, that a levy of 10% would apply to nearly all US imports from April 5 as he also revealed additional so-called reciprocal duties, meaning total tariffs as high as 20% on the EU and 24% on Japan will go into effect on April 9.

 

 

   US tariffs on China, the world’s biggest exporter of goods, will rise to 54% after Trump imposes a further 34% duty on top of 20% levies he placed on China earlier this year. Country’s commerce ministry on Thursday warned it would retaliate against US decision.

   “History has shown that raising tariffs will not resolve the US’s own problems,” said a commerce ministry spokesperson.

   The EU is “prepared to respond”, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday, while emphasising the bloc first wished to negotiate. Germany’s finance minister said he expected a “strong response” from the EU.

   Japan’s chief government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed “serious concern” over the US. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy said President Trump’s tariffs were “a measure that I consider wrong.”

 

 

   According to the White House, the annual cost to the US economy of counterfeit goods, pirated software, and theft of trade secrets is between 225 billion and 600 billion US dollars. In 2024, the US trade deficit in goods exceeded 1.2 trillion US dollars.