On Tuesday, February 11th, Canada, Mexico and the EU slammed US President Donald Trump’s “unjustified” decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, which has raised fears of a broader trade war.
Trump signed executive orders to impose 25 per cent tariffs on imports of the metals starting March 12, triggering a flurry of angry reactions.
The European Union and Canada vowed to retaliate firmly.
Such tariffs would be “entirely unjustified”, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at an artificial intelligence conference in Paris.
“Our response will of course be firm and clear,” Trudeau told AFP, as Canadian steelmakers warned of “massive” disruption from Trump’s move.
In Mexico — the third-largest steel exporter to the United States, after Canada and Brazil — a top minister urged Trump not to “destroy” four decades of North American trade ties.
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the balance of trade in steel and aluminium between Mexico and the United States was almost $6.9 billion in Washington’s favour in 2024, and tariffs were, therefore, “not justified.”
In Brussels, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned that “unjustified tariffs on the EU… will trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures”.
EU trade ministers will discuss the 27-country bloc’s next steps in a video conference on Wednesday, while Trudeau will separately discuss strategy with top officials in Brussels.
Brazil, for its part, said it had no intention of entering into a trade war with the United States, despite President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva having vowed reciprocation if Trump imposed tariffs.
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