讀後心得

After U.S. President Trump announced the imposition of tariffs, the European Union will take countermeasures against U.S. imports valued at $28 billion. The EU plans to hold a meeting on the 7th to discuss response strategies, potentially imposing tariffs of up to 50% on products including meats, grains, and bourbon whiskey. This decision faces internal divisions within the EU and may exacerbate the global trade war. The EU's preliminary measures will be voted on on April 9 and may take effect on April 15.

President Trump of the United States announced the imposition of tariffs, prompting countries to seek countermeasures. Following China and Canada, the European Union will also take retaliatory measures against U.S. imported goods, covering items such as dental floss and diamonds, with a total amount reaching $28 billion (approximately 927.3 billion New Taiwan dollars).

According to reports, after China and Canada announced counterattacks, the EU is also about to join the ranks of retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. Trump previously stated that starting from April 9, he would impose a 25% tariff on steel, aluminum, and automotive products from the 27 EU countries, while other goods would also be subject to a 20% "reciprocal" tariff. Reports indicate that the total value of the EU's exports to the U.S. in 2024 is approximately €532 billion (about 19.4 trillion New Taiwan dollars), with the current taxation scope potentially covering about 70% of EU exports to the U.S. This could further expand to include copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and timber.

The European Commission, responsible for coordinating EU trade policy, plans to present a list to member states on the 7th, mentioning that additional tariffs will be levied on U.S. products in response to Trump's steel and aluminum tariff policy, which differs from broader reciprocal tariffs. Items on the list will include U.S. products such as meat, grains, wine, timber, clothing, chewing gum, dental floss, vacuum cleaners, and toilet paper. Among them, bourbon whiskey has drawn attention and caused divisions within the EU. The Commission plans to impose a 50% tariff on bourbon whiskey, while Trump has threatened to impose a 200% tariff on all wine, champagne, and alcoholic products exported to the EU as retaliation, raising concerns among countries like Italy and France, which export wine, and potentially escalating the global trade war and affecting the global economy.

Considering the EU's heavy reliance on free trade, the EU will ensure that proposed decisions receive broad support to pressure Trump to participate in negotiations. The 27 member states of the EU are expected to hold a full political meeting on the 7th in Luxembourg, marking the first meeting since Trump announced the large-scale increase in tariffs, where trade ministers will discuss the impact of tariffs and countermeasures.

Reports indicate that the EU's initial retaliatory tariff measures will be voted on and approved on April 9, with some measures taking effect on April 15 and others a month later. Unless 15 member states oppose, with the opposing countries' population accounting for 65% of the total EU population, the countermeasures cannot be blocked.