US President Donald Trump With a huge customs package trading partners all over the world says. His government introduces new flat -rate tariffs of ten percent to imports from all countries. Depending on the trade deficit, significantly higher penalty levies should work for many countries, as the Republican announced during a solemn appearance in the Rosengarten of the White House. New tariffs of 20 percent are planned for imports from Germany and other countries of the European Union to the United States.
It is the most aggressive and consequent step to date in the course of the already broken trade policy of the US President. The global economy should put a lot of strain on this. Consumers in the USA have to adjust to significant price increases. But people in Germany, Europe and other parts of the world will also feel the consequences, because a trade war with the EU now seems inevitable.
The complex new customs package
The package is about so -called mutual tariffs. The US government argues that the United States only raises its tariffs wherever international partners asked for punitive taxes or that other trade barriers for US companies had built up. That is just fair. How the Americans calculate these alleged disadvantages is opaque and therefore difficult to understand the “fairness” of the step.
Trump signed an arrangement at the ceremony at the White House, with which a complex international customs system is introduced. It contains both individual mutual tariffs and flat -rate penalty levies.
Customs of ten percent should apply universally on imports from all countries to the United States and come into force this Saturday. Beyond this, there should be individual criminal levies that vary depending on the country. These should take effect from April 9th. In particular, those countries are targeted that, from the United States, have particularly high trade barriers for American products. For dozens of states, higher taxes beyond the ten percent are planned, some of them.
“This day will go down in history”
Trump spoke of a “day of liberation” for America, which can no longer be ripped off by other countries. “This day will go into history when the day on which the American industry was born when America has recaptured its fate and the day we started to make America rich again,” said the 78-year-old. “For decades, our country was looted, branded, raped and looted, by nearby and distant nations, of friends and enemies alike.” This is now over. The “Golden Age” of the USA is coming back.
A senior representative of the US government rated the step as the beginning of a new “era”. He said: “Nobody has ever done anything like that.”
Trump has been putting on tariffs on a large scale since the re -entry into the White House – similar to his first term. He already imposed criminal levies on all aluminum and steel imports, launched tariffs of 25 percent on imported cars and auto parts, introduced increased tariffs to all goods from China and also targeted the direct neighbors Canada and Mexico. Meet the auto tariffs in particular Europe And heavy German companies from the industry. The new customs package is driving Trump’s course on the top – and is not yet the end. He promises further punitive taxes for certain imports.
The consequences for consumers
An import customs works similarly to a tax. The submission must be paid by the importing company – in this case by companies in the USA. It is likely that the importing companies do not simply bear the higher costs themselves, but pass it on to consumers. This increases prices, inflation could be heated again. Trump’s goal is to prevent US companies from introducing products from abroad. This should strengthen the US production site in the long term.
Since it is expected to be expected and the exporting companies in the United States, but also in other countries, should have a loss of sales, this could lead to a decline in production and job cancellations in all possible places around the world. This in turn would burden the global economy as a whole. An escalating trade conflict between the United States and the EU would also have a significant impact for German consumers.
The conflict with Europe
The Europeans had tried to prevent the new tariffs during negotiations in Washington – but unsuccessfully. «They play us off. It’s so sad to see that. It is so pathetic, »said Trump with a view to the Europeans.
Again and again Trump ranks against the EU and her trade policy in public appearances. Basically, it is a thorn in the side that European companies sell significantly more goods in the United States than American companies in the EU. The US tariffs that have already been announced on steel and aluminum imports and auto imports have already heated up the trade dispute with Europe. The new penalty taxes could overflow and lead to violent countermeasures from Brussels. Then individual products will soon become more expensive in Germany.
The message inside
For his customs announcement, Trump chose not any place, but the famous rose garden of the White House right next to the Oval Office. The US President gathered cabinet members, business representatives and workers there to effectively stage his customs decision.
Trump wants to correct alleged trade weights with tariffs and shift more production to the USA. At the same time, customs revenues should at least partially counter its expensive election promise of large tax cuts. The “trillions and trillions” of revenue should be used to “reduce our taxes and remove our government debt,” said Trump. Customs serve that republican Also as a means of pressure to enforce political goals in negotiations with other countries – and to present itself as a uncompromising “America First” president.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 250403-930-422127/1
