The United States and its traditional allies are on the brink of a full-scale trade war amid the EU’s tit-for-tat response to Washington’s move to impose stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
US President Donald Trump offered his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron a lucrative bilateral trade deal if France agreed to withdraw from the EU, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing European officials.
According to the newspaper, during his April 24 meeting with Macron at the White House, Trump told him: “Why don’t you leave the EU?”
He then offered France a bilateral trade agreement with “better terms than the EU as a whole gets from the United States.”
President Trump also reportedly told Macron that the European Union is “worse than China” on trade.
The White House declined to comment on the Washington Post’s reports, but did not dispute the account.
The details of President Trump’s April 24 meeting with Macron come amid fears of a looming trade war following Washington’s move to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the EU, Canada and Mexico.
In March, the United States introduced a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent levy on aluminum imports.
EU countries responded to Washington’s move by slapping a 25 percent tax on 2.8 billion euros’ worth of US-made goods.
RELATED ARTICLES
- Hungary Becomes First EU Country to Congratulate Putin for Winning the 'Elections'
- Putin says NATO Troops are already in Ukraine But Russia is Still Winning
- EU to use Russian assets to buy arms for Ukraine
- France will Send its Army to Defend Ukraine against Russia Soon
- France says Ukraine Must Free Crimea in Order to Have Lasting Peace
Loading ...
