France and Germany advocate joint EU response after Donald Trump’s resolution to extend international surcharges to fifteen% | EUROtoday

Donald Trump introduced on Saturday February 21 that he would enhance his new international customs duties from 10% to fifteen%. “with immediate effect”after the main setback inflicted the day earlier than by the United States Supreme Court on its aggressive commerce coverage.

“As President of the United States of America, I will increase global tariffs by 10% effective immediately.”introduced the day earlier than, “at the fully authorized level (…) by 15% »he wrote on his Truth Social network. This increase is based on a “thorough examination” of Friday’s resolution of the very best American court docket, he stated, as soon as once more describing it as ” ridiculous “ and“extraordinarily un-American”.

After lashing out in opposition to the Supreme Court judges who knocked down a big a part of his customs duties, Donald Trump introduced that he had signed a decree from the Oval Office imposing this new international customs tax of 10%.

The latter was to return into pressure on February 24, for a interval of 100 and fifty days, with sectoral exemptions specifically for the pharmaceutical business in addition to for items coming into American territory throughout the framework of the settlement between the United States, Mexico and Canada, the White House laid out in a press launch. This new fee applies to international locations or blocs which have signed commerce agreements with Washington, such because the European Union (EU), Japan, South Korea or Taiwan.

Measured worldwide reactions

America’s buying and selling companions reacted cautiously, however with curiosity, to the announcement of the US Supreme Court’s resolution.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed this on Saturday upon his arrival on the Agricultural Show, judging ” GOOD “ that there’s “powers and counter-powers in democracies”. “We want to continue to export (…) and do it with the fairest rules possible (…) and not be subjected to unilateral decisions”he declared, believing that it was crucial “be in a logic of appeasement”.

Faced with the brand new customs duties lastly introduced on Saturday by Donald Trump, “a united EU approach will be needed”declared the French Minister Delegate answerable for international commerce, Nicolas Forissier, in a message despatched to Agence France-Presse. In the Financial Timeshe recalled that the EU had the required instruments to reply to American surcharges. “If this proves necessary, the EU has the appropriate instruments”he insisted, citing specifically a potential activation of the anti-coercion instrument (ACI), which makes it potential to limit investments and restrict exports of companies akin to these offered by American digital giants.

“We have taken note of the decision of the Supreme Courtreacted the Quai d’Orsay, after the announcement from the highest American court on Friday. We are in close contact with the European Commission and the Member States to carry out its analysis and assess its consequences. Based on this assessment and the consequences that the US administration will draw from it, a united EU approach will be necessary. »

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Saturday that he needed to carry discussions together with his European allies with a view to discover a widespread response earlier than a gathering with Donald Trump in Washington. “We will have a very clear European position on this subject, because customs policy is the responsibility of the EU, and not of individual Member States”he informed German channel ARD.

Towards unsure reimbursements

By a majority of six judges out of 9, the American Supreme Court dominated on Friday that Donald Trump couldn’t justify the customs duties he had launched by an financial emergency. An opinion all of the extra outstanding since it’s made up of a majority of conservative judges, going a number of instances within the path of the Republican.

Donald Trump had imposed customs surcharges based mostly on a 1977 textual content theoretically authorizing the manager to behave within the financial discipline with out prior approval from Congress so long as a “economic emergency” was recognized. However, in accordance with the President of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, the president should “prove clear congressional authorization” to implement customs duties.

This resolution paves the way in which for potential reimbursements of surcharges already paid by corporations. Asked about this on Friday, the American president pressured that this query had not “not been addressed” by the Court and that it might occupy the courts for years. Customs duties collected by the American authorities and focused by the Court’s resolution have exceeded 130 billion {dollars} (110 billion euros) in 2025, in accordance with analysts.

One of the dissenting judges of the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, notably justified his place by the truth that the choice “says nothing about how the government should proceed to repay the billions collected”.

The tariffs focused international locations with which the United States had a commerce deficit in items. Donald Trump’s goal was additionally to offer extra assets to the federal state to compensate for tax cuts.