WASHINGTON – Europe is “possibly as bad as China” on trade, US PresidentDonald Trump said in an interview broadcast Sunday, with trade warsemerging against both the Asian giant as well as longtime allies in Europeand Canada.
“The European Union is possibly as bad as China, only smaller,” Trump saidon Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures” program.
“They send a Mercedes in, we can t send our cars in. Look what they do toour farmers. They don t want our farm products. Now in all fairness theyhave their farmers… But we don t protect ours and they protect theirs,”he said.
Trump had already threatened tariffs on cars imported from the EuropeanUnion, in response to the EU s retaliatory tariffs last week on iconic USproducts including bourbon, jeans and motorcycles.
The EU retaliation came after Trump s administration on June 1 struckEurope as well as allies in Canada, Mexico and elsewhere with tariffs onaluminum and steel.
Canada s retaliatory tariffs take effect Sunday against American productsincluding Florida orange juice, ketchup and Kentucky bourbon.
Canada and the US are among the world s largest trading partners, with anestimated $673.9 billion in goods and services exchanged in 2017, with theUS scoring a small surplus ($8.4 billion), according to US government data.
At Trump s insistence, Canada, Mexico and the US are renegotiating theNorth American Free Trade Agreement.
“NAFTA, I could sign it tomorrow but I m not happy with it. I want to makeit more fair, OK?” Trump said, adding that he wants to wait until “afterthe election.”
Trump s Republicans are fighting to retain control of Congress in Novembermidterm elections.
In the interview the president again complained about Canada s protecteddairy industry, saying “that s not fair.”
Against China, the world s second-largest economy, the White House inmid-June announced stiff 25 percent tariffs on Chinese imports, sparkingimmediate retaliation from Beijing.
Trump on Wednesday said he supported tougher restrictions on foreigninvestment in sensitive technology, as well as export controls on thosegoods, but he stopped short of imposing specific restrictions on China.
Asked about that decision, Trump said in the interview that he is notbacking down on China tariffs.
“No, no, no, no,” he said, noting that more tariffs could be imposed ifthere is no deal with China.
“I will tell you, China wants to make a deal and so do I, but it s got tobe a fair deal for this country,” he said.
The US has complained about Chinese policies that Washington said eitherforced companies to relinquish key technology or allowed China to steal itoutright.
The president announced 25 percent import tariffs on hundreds of Chineseproducts to pressure the country to alter its practices. Those tariffs aredue to take effect July 6.
That came on top of the tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum that wentinto effect in late March — measures that prompted Beijing to slappunitive duties on 128 US goods, including pork, wine and certain pipes. -APP/AFP