President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday a 200 percent tariff on wine, champagne and European spirits if the European Union advances with a planned rate on the American whiskey.
The European rate, which was revealed in response to steel and aluminum tariffs by US administration, was expected to enter into force on April 1.
But Trump, in a publication of the morning social networks, promised a new escalation in his commercial war if the EU advances with the 50 percent planned rate on the US whiskey.
“If this rate is not immediately eliminated, the United States will soon give a 200% rate over all wines, champanes and alcoholic products that leave France and other countries represented from the EU,” Trump wrote. “This will be excellent for wine and champagne businesses in the United States”
The Republican President had indicated that he intended to take action.
“Of course I will answer,” Trump told reporters during an exchange of the office oval with journalists.
Trump, announcing the new steel and aluminum tariffs on Wednesday, openly challenged Americans and promised to recover the wealth “stolen” by other countries, and drew fast reprisals.
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It has separate tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, with tax plans also to imports from the European Union, Brazil and South Korea by collecting “reciprocal” rates from April 2.
The EU announced its own countermeasures. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that as the United States was “applying rates worth $ 28 billion, we are responding with countermeasures worth 26 billion euros”, or around US $ 28 million.
These measures cover not only steel and aluminum products, but also textiles, appliances and agricultural products.
The spokesman for the European Commission, Olof Gill, said Thursday shortly before Trump's announcement that the EU was “prepared for what could come, and we have been preparing for more than a year.”
“We call the United States to immediately revoke the rates imposed yesterday, and we want to negotiate to avoid tariffs in the future,” Gill added. “They bring nothing more to lose the results, and we want to focus on the results of win-win.”
Meanwhile, American Bourbon manufacturers urged Trump to retreat their commercial war.
“The US spirits sector. It is the model for fair and reciprocal trade, which has zero tariffs for zero since 1997,” said Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council, in a statement. “We urge President Trump to ensure a spirits with the EU to return to zero rates for zero, which will create jobs in the United States and increase manufacturing and exports for the American hospitality sector. We want toasts not rates. “
–Ap Lorne Cook writers in Brussels and Mike Warren contributed reports.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press