Thread: Macron talks to Trump, says tariffs illegal and a mistake

Macron talks to Trump, says tariffs illegal and a mistake

By The Associated Press
PARIS — Jun 1, 2018, 11:46 AM ET

French President Emmanuel Macron has told U.S. President Donald Trump that the new U.S. tariffs on European, Mexican and Canadian goods are illegal and a "mistake."

Macron's office said in a statement Friday that the two presidents spoke by phone after Trump's administration announced the decision Thursday to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum.

The European Union is planning retaliatory tariffs on U.S. steel and food goods in the coming weeks, once it calculates the exact cost to EU companies of the U.S. tariffs. Macron pledged the riposte would be "firm" and "proportionate" and in line with World Trade Organization rules.

The U.S. decision came despite last-minute talks in Paris this week to try to reach a deal.

As its first step to challenge the U.S. tariffs, the EU on Friday formally filed a request for consultations at the WTO.

The two sides will discuss the matter and try to reach a deal. If that fails to solve the matter, after 60 days the EU can ask a WTO panel to rule on the case.

The EU's trade chief, Cecilia Malmstrom, said that the U.S. decision to impose tariffs "is further weakening the Trans-Atlantic relations."

She said the measures "will cause a lot of damage to our steel and aluminum industry" and risk hurting global economic growth.

She dismissed the Trump administration's argument that the tariffs are needed for U.S. national security reasons.

"Internal security is not relevant. It is pure protectionism," she said.

Companies around the world have expressed concern about the tariffs and the risk that it could escalate into a trade war, in which both sides hit each other with tit-for-tat measures.

Germany's Volkswagen, Europe's largest automaker, said no side would win a trade war.

In a statement to The Associated Press, the company said it views the tariffs with "regret and concern."

"There are fears that this marks the start of a negative spiral of measures and countermeasures where there will ultimately be no winners," the company said.

The Wolfsburg-based company is calling for dialogue between the U.S. and the EU within recognized World Trade Organization principles "in order to prevent any long-term economic damage."

https://abcnews.go.com/International...stake-55579991

The Wolfsburg-based company is calling for dialogue between the U.S. and the EU within recognized World Trade Organization principles "in order to prevent any long-term economic damage."

To whom? You all have been robbing our trade for decades. You people need to understand, our President isn't doing this for his health, he's doing this for the people of the United States, because we want him to. He's doing this for US. Americans want our country back, so maybe the best thing to do is withdraw from the WTO. Americans are the ones who pay the tariffs, so this doesn't cost you a dime. We pay tariffs when we choose to buy your products. You keep whining and messing with US and we'll stop buying your shit and instead buy our own. After all, that's the whole point. So go sell your stuff to yourselves and we'll do likewise.

If we go to war, I think we will win.

Yes there will be a lot of shuffling. But our farmers could import to our people instead of theirs. Our manufacturers can import to our stores instead of theirs. That would create more jobs in our country, and they would lose. Our economy would go up, theirs would go down, even more than it already has. We can survive without their Mercedes. Can they survive without us buying their Mercedes?

We have the edge because we are the biggest economy in the world! These folks need us more than we need them. Of course the corporations, businesses, ranchers and farmers that will be negatively impacted are going to cry and whine. Their only interest is their bottom-line, they could give a hoot less about anyone else.

These pussies need to remember who they're dealing with. 250 million pissed-off Americans is still the world's worst nightmare. You want to mess with US? Big mistake.

Hey fellow Americans, lets go make some new friends in Russia with people who don't WHINE!!!

Originally Posted by Judy

These pussies need to remember who they're dealing with.

Are you using a pejorative equivalent to the "C" word?

Originally Posted by Judy

Hey fellow Americans, lets go make some new friends in Russia with people who don't WHINE!!!

Putin wouldn't like that. They might vote him out of office!

No I'm referring to a bunch of whining weaklings. Russians love Americans, always have. We're very much alike.