讀後心得

U.S. President Trump announced the imposition of additional tariffs, prompting various countries to take countermeasures. The European Union plans to hold a meeting on the 7th to impose extra tariffs on U.S. imports valued at $28 billion, including bourbon whiskey and household goods. This will be the first collective response meeting by the EU since Trump imposed tariffs, where member countries will need to discuss countermeasures. If there are no objections from member states, the measures will take effect in mid-April, potentially further igniting concerns over trade wars and global economic recession.

U.S. President Trump announced the imposition of tariffs, prompting countries to seek responses. Following China and Canada, European Union countries also plan to implement countermeasures against U.S. imports valued at around $28 billion (approximately 927.3 billion New Taiwan dollars).

The EU is expected to hold a meeting on the 7th to discuss plans to respond to Trump's taxation issues and will propose countermeasures against U.S. imports. Reports indicate that the EU will join the ranks of those imposing retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. Trump has stated that starting from April 9, a 25% tariff will be imposed on steel, aluminum, and automobile products from the 27 EU countries, while other products may face a 20% "reciprocal" tariff. Additionally, the total value of EU exports to the U.S. in 2024 is expected to reach 532 billion euros (approximately 19.4 trillion New Taiwan dollars), with this tax potentially covering about 70% of EU exports to the U.S., which may later expand to include copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and timber.

The agency responsible for coordinating EU trade policy is expected to present a list at the meeting, which will involve imposing additional tariffs on U.S. products in response to Trump's steel and aluminum tariff policies, rather than a broader reciprocal tariff. The list mentioned in reports includes everyday items such as U.S. meats, grains, wine, timber, clothing, chewing gum, dental floss, vacuum cleaners, and toilet paper. Among these, the taxation issue concerning bourbon whiskey has caused divisions within the EU, as the EU plans to impose a 50% tariff on bourbon, while Trump has threatened to impose a 200% tariff on wine, champagne, and alcoholic products from EU countries, raising concerns from wine-exporting countries like Italy and France, and potentially exacerbating the global trade war and impacting the global economy.

Considering the EU's high dependence on free trade, the EU will ensure that the proposed decisions gain broad support, thereby applying pressure on Trump to engage in negotiations. The trade ministers of the 27 EU member states will hold a plenary political meeting on the 7th in Luxembourg, marking the first meeting since Trump announced large-scale tax increases, where the impact of tariffs and response plans will be discussed.

Reports also indicate that the EU's initial counter-tariff measures will be voted on and approved on April 9, with some measures taking effect on April 15 and the others a month later. At that time, the countermeasures will not be blocked unless 15 member states oppose them and those opposing countries account for over 65% of the EU's total population.