Renew Europe MEPs strongly denounced Donald Trump's so-called "Liberation Day" announcement of sweeping arbitrary tariffs on international trade partners, including 20% on EU imports.
The Group believes this move represents a dangerous escalation of global tensions and protectionist policies that threaten to destabilise the global economy and undermine a century of developing shared rules for mutual prosperity in international relations.
"President Trump's tariffs are not a liberation: they are an aggressive declaration of economic isolationism. He is punishing businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic, driving up costs and fuelling inflation at a time when global cooperation is more crucial than ever,” said Renew Europe’s rapporteur on EU-US relations Karin Karlsbro MEP (Liberalerna, SE).
Renew Europe urged the US administration to reconsider its approach and engage in constructive dialogue with its trade partners, while calling on the European Commission to respond firmly and decisively to defend European interests.
“The EU must give itself the means to negotiate with the United States, without compromising its economic and commercial interests. But we must also be prepared to take initiatives and move closer to other partners in order to strengthen our commercial ties,” added Marie-Pierre Védrenne MEP, Renew Europe coordinator in the European Parliament Committee on International Trade.
Renew Europe repeated its call for President Trump's European supporters to speak out against these harmful tariffs and accept responsibility for their role in enabling such policies.