Paris: US President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs on imports to the United States from countries right across the globe drew a wave of condemnation.
Here are international reactions so far:
China
Beijing said it “firmly opposes” the new tariffs on its exports, and vowed “countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests.”
Trump unveiled particularly stinging tariffs of 34 percent on China, one of its largest trading partners, while a 10 percent base tariff on all countries also applies. That comes on top of a 20 percent rate imposed last month.
The tariffs “do not comply with international trade rules,” China’s Commerce Ministry said.
It urged Washington to “immediately cancel” them, warning they “endanger global economic development.”
European Union
The tariffs are a “major blow to the world economy,” warned EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.
“There seems to be no order in the disorder. No clear path through the complexity and chaos that is being created as all US trading partners are hit,” she said.
After the 20 percent tariffs on EU exports to the United States, she said Brussels was “preparing for further countermeasures” but added it was “not too late to address concerns through negotiations.”
Germany
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz slammed the tariffs as “fundamentally wrong” as Berlin warned that the European Union could retaliate by targeting American tech titans.
“This is an attack on a trade order that has created prosperity all over the globe, a trade order that is essentially the result of American efforts,” Scholz said.
Japan
Trade minister Yoji Muto said the 24 percent tariffs on Japanese exports to the United States were “extremely regrettable, and I have again strongly urged (Washington) not to apply them to Japan.”
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters the tariffs may contravene World Trade Organization rules and the pair’s trade treaty.
UK
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “there would be an economic impact” from a 10 percent tariff imposed on British exports to the United States.
“Today, I will act in Britain’s interests with mine,” said Starmer, adding that trade negotiations would continue with Donald Trump’s administration and that “we will fight for the best deal for Britain.”
The UK will “remain calm, and committed” to sealing a trade deal with the United States which could help “mitigate” the tarriff rise, business minister Jonathan Reynolds said.
France
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said the hikes were a “catastrophe” all round.
“This decision is a catastrophe for the economic world,” Bayrou said. “It is an immense difficulty for Europe. I believe that it is also a catastrophe for the United States and for American citizens.”
Italy
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the new US tariffs on imports from the EU and urged a deal, warning a trade war would “inevitably weaken the West.”
“The introduction by the US of tariffs toward the EU is a measure that I consider wrong and that does not suit either party,” she said.
Canada
Prime Minister Mark Carney warned the tariffs will “fundamentally change the global trading system.”
“We are going to fight these tariffs with countermeasures. We are going to protect our workers,” he said.
Spain
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the tariffs a “unilateral attack” against Europe.
This measure marks a return to “19th century protectionism, which in my opinion, is not an intelligent way to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” he said.
Australia
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia would not retaliate but said: “This is not the act of a friend.”
Australia, where one in four jobs depends on trade, charges nothing on US imports, Albanese said, calling the tariffs “unwarranted” and saying they undermine “our free and fair trading relationship.”
Brazil
Brazil’s Congress approved a so-called “Economic Reciprocity Law” allowing the executive to respond to the 10 percent tariffs on exports from Latin America’s biggest economy, which is the second-largest exporter of steel to the United States after Canada.
South Korea
“A global tariff war has become a reality,” said acting president Han Duck-soo following Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on imports from South Korea.
Han convened an emergency task force and vowed to mobilize “all government resources” to overcome the “trade crisis,” urging ministers to minimize the damage through aggressive negotiations with Washington.
Switzerland
After Switzerland was hit with 31 percent tariffs, President Karin Keller-Sutter said the government would quickly decide on the next steps.
“The country’s long-term economic interests are the priority. Respect for international law and free trade are fundamental,” she said.
Poland
“Friendship means partnership. Partnership means really and truly reciprocal tariffs,” said Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Taiwan
The Taiwanese government found the 32 percent levy “highly unreasonable and deeply regretted it” said cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee.
She said Taiwan would “initiate serious negotiations with the United States.”
Thailand
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said he had a “strong plan” on how to respond, believing that there remained room to negotiate.
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said Thailand would “negotiate with understanding, not aggressive talk. But we have to talk which products they feel are unfair and we have to see whether we can adjust.”
India
India’s commerce ministry reacted cautiously, saying it is “carefully examining the implications of the various measures” after the US slapped a flat 26 percent on exports imposed on the fifth-largest economy .
It also said it was “studying the opportunities that may arise due to this new development,” a likely reference to regional competitors being hit harder.
Bangladesh
Bangladeshi textile industry leaders said the tariffs posed a “massive blow” to the world’s second-largest garment manufacturer, which accounts for some 80 percent of the South Asian nation’s exports.
“Buyers will go to other cost-competitive markets — this is going to be a massive blow for our industry,” said Rakibul Alam Chowdhury, chairman of RDM Group, a major manufacturer with an estimated $25 million turnover. “We will lose buyers.”
South Africa
The new 30 percent tariffs on South African imports are a concern and underscore the urgent need for a new bilateral trade agreement, President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
“The tariffs affirm the urgency to negotiate a new bilateral and mutually beneficial trade agreement with the US as an essential step to secure long-term trade certainty,” he said. The United States is South Africa’s second-biggest trading partner.
What the world said about Trump’s tariffs
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What the world said about Trump’s tariffs
- Tariffs could disrupt trade and increase costs for firms
House Republicans barely defeat Venezuela war powers resolution to check Trump’s military actions
WASHINGTON: The House rejected a Democratic-backed resolution Thursday that would have prevented President Donald Trump from sending US military forces to Venezuela after a tied vote on the legislation fell just short of the majority needed for passage.
The tied vote was the latest sign of Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s tenuous hold on the majority, as well as some of the growing pushback in the GOP-controlled Congress to Trump’s aggressions in the Western Hemisphere. A Senate vote on a similar resolution was also tied last week until Vice President JD Vance broke the deadlock.
To defeat the resolution Thursday, Republican leaders had to hold the vote open for more than 20 minutes while Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt, who had been out of Washington all week campaigning for a Senate seat in Texas, rushed back to Capitol Hill to cast the decisive vote.
On the House floor, Democrats responded with shouts that Republican leaders were violating the chamber’s procedural rules. Two Republicans — Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted with all Democrats for the legislation.
The war powers resolution would have directed Trump to remove US troops from Venezuela. The Trump administration told senators last week that there are no US troops on the ground in the South American nation and committed to getting congressional approval before launching major military operations there.
But Democrats argued that the resolution is necessary after the US raid to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and since Trump has stated plans to control the country’s oil industry for years to come.
The response to Trump’s foreign policy
Thursday’s vote was the latest test in Congress of how much leeway Republicans will give a president who campaigned on removing the US from foreign entanglements but has increasingly reached for military options to impose his will in the Western Hemisphere. So far, almost all Republicans have declined to put checks on Trump through the war powers votes.
Rep. Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Armed Services Committee, accused Democrats of bringing the war powers resolution to a vote out of “spite” for Trump.
“It’s about the fact that you don’t want President Trump to arrest Maduro, and you will condemn him no matter what he does, even though he brought Maduro to justice with possibly the most successful law enforcement operation in history,” Mast added.
Still, Democrats stridently argued that Congress needs to assert its role in determining when the president can use wartime powers. They have been able to force a series of votes in both the House and Senate as Trump, in recent months, ramped up his campaign against Maduro and set his sights on other conflicts overseas.
“Donald Trump is reducing the United States to a regional bully with fewer allies and more enemies,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said during a floor debate. “This isn’t making America great again. It’s making us isolated and weak.”
Last week, Senate Republicans were only able to narrowly dismiss the Venezuela war powers resolution after the Trump administration persuaded two Republicans to back away from their earlier support. As part of that effort, Secretary of State Marco Rubio committed to a briefing next week before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Yet Trump’s insistence that the US will possess Greenland over the objections of Denmark, a NATO ally, has alarmed some Republicans on Capitol Hill. They have mounted some of the most outspoken objections to almost anything the president has done since taking office.
Trump this week backed away from military and tariff threats against European allies as he announced that his administration was working with NATO on a “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security.
But Bacon still expressed frustration with Trump’s aggressive foreign policy and voted for the war powers resolution even though it only applies to Venezuela.
“I’m tired of all the threats,” he said.
Trump’s recent military actions — and threats to do more — have reignited a decades-old debate in Congress over the War Powers Act, a law passed in the early 1970s by lawmakers looking to claw back their authority over military actions.
The war powers debate
The War Powers Resolution was passed in the Vietnam War era as the US sent troops to conflicts throughout Asia. It attempted to force presidents to work with Congress to deploy troops if there hasn’t already been a formal declaration of war.
Under the legislation, lawmakers can also force votes on legislation that directs the president to remove US forces from hostilities.
Presidents have long tested the limits of those parameters, and Democrats argue that Trump in his second term has pushed those limits farther than ever.
The Trump administration left Congress in the dark ahead of the surprise raid to capture Maduro. It has also used an evolving set of legal justifications to blow up alleged drug boats and seize sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela.
Democrats question who gets to benefit from Venezuelan oil licenses
As the Trump administration oversees the sale of Venezuela’s petroleum worldwide, Senate Democrats are also questioning who is benefiting from the contracts.
In one of the first transactions, the US granted Vitol, the world’s largest independent oil broker, a license worth roughly $250 million. A senior partner at Vitol, John Addison, gave roughly $6 million to Trump-aligned political action committees during the presidential election, according to donation records compiled by OpenSecrets.
“Congress and the American people deserve full transparency regarding any financial commitments, promises, deals, or other arrangements related to Venezuela that could favor donors to the President’s campaign and political operation,” 13 Democratic senators wrote to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Thursday in a letter led by Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California.
The White House has said it is safeguarding the South American country’s oil for the benefit of both the people of Venezuela and the US
