Trump starts countdown to EU trade war
US allies said Trump 'security' justification hard to understand.
US leader Donald Trump has imposed a 15-day countdown to an EU trade war set to hit steel, aluminium, cars, food, and other products.
"Today I'm defending America's national security by placing tariffs on foreign imports of steel and aluminium," he said in the White House on Thursday (8 March) surrounded by US steel workers.
European steel makers fear overcapacity as China diverts products from US to EU (Photo: Tata Steel Europe)
Foreign "dumping" of cheap metals was responsible for "shuttering [US] plants and mills … laying off millions of workers and the decimation of entire communities," he said.
"We want to build our ships, build our planes, our military equipment with aluminium and steel from our country," he added.
He exempted Canada and Mexico from the tariffs, which are to come into effect on 23 March, due to ongoing talks on a North American trade accord.
