Donald Trump slapped tariffs on goods from the European Union. The EU retaliated, with tariffs equaling not quite half of Trump’s tariffs, and now Trump is threatening more tariffs on Europe. So things are going really well.
The EU’s tariffs will hit 180 different American products, from Kentucky bourbon (Hi there, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky!) to clothes to orange and cranberry juice to suntanning equipment. Also chewing tobacco and motorcycles.
"The rules of international trade, which we have developed .. with our American partners, cannot be violated without a reaction from our side," Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström said. "Our response is measured, proportionate and fully in line with WTO rules."
The EU, which is pursuing a World Trade Organization complaint, says it will impose more tariffs if that complaint is successful … or, if the United States lifts tariffs, the EU will do the same. But Friday morning, Trump threatened still more tariffs on European cars, tweeting “Build them here,” as if BMW and Mercedes hadn’t had factories in the U.S. since the 1990s, taking advantage of that cheap American labor.