German Economy Minister, Robert Habeck, has urged the European Union to be open to talks with the U.S. President Donald Trump, rather than being silent about new tariffs imposition.
EU countries should act with an outstretched hand towards the Trump administration, “but not allow our hand to be slapped away without limits,” Habeck said at a conference on energy in Berlin organised by the financial newspaper Handelsblatt.
The EU was prepared to respond if Trump ends up making moves against trade with the EU, Habeck said.
“Then we will know what tariffs we have to impose. We don’t want that. That’s bad for the people, it’s bad for our relationship, it’s bad for us as a whole,” Habeck said. “But we don’t have to let ourselves be pushed around either.”
Trump again touted tariffs on global trade during his inaugural speech on Monday, claiming that the revenue would benefit U.S. citizens.
During the election campaign, Trump also repeatedly vowed to raise tariffs on imports to strengthen the U.S. economy, although it remains unclear whether he will follow through and who might be targeted.
