3 February 2025 – US President Donald Trump made good on his threat to impose new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China over the weekend in a bid to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. Europe could also face new US tariffs – the time has come for proactive action in Brussels to strike a deal.
President Trump gets serious about tariffs – the time for deals has come
US President Donald Trump made good on his threat on February 1, 2025 and imposed new tariffs on goods from Mexico (25%) Canada (25% + 10%) and China (10%). The main reason was to combat the flow of drugs into the United States via the northern and southern borders.
Canadian government announces counter-tariffs
The Canadian government reacted with a corresponding counter-response and announced tariffs of 25% on US imports. Mexico also announced possible countermeasures, but has not yet commented on their nature or scope. According to official sources, the Mexican government had already submitted a proposal to the Trump administration to settle the dispute. China’s Foreign Ministry protested against the imposition of the 10% tariffs on Chinese goods and wants to examine whether countermeasures need to be taken.
Europe so far without new US tariffs – time for proactive deals
The European Union has so far been spared new US tariffs, even though the US administration has already threatened to take measures against the EU if the large trade deficit between the two economic areas does not change fundamentally.
EU decision-makers must proactively approach Donald Trump
So far, there has been rather restrained sabre-rattling from Brussels towards Washington. Donald Trump is known for his desire to make deals and does not want protracted negotiations. The fact that President Trump has now so rigorously imposed new tariffs on two of his closest trading partners should therefore be a serious warning to decision-makers in Brussels and Strasbourg. Brussels, in particular, should now get down from its ivory tower and proactively approach the US government and make deals.
Donald Trump has already signaled that the EU could buy significantly more oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States. At the same time, the European Union needs new supply contracts for these fossil fuels.
As the product is interchangeable and the prices are almost transparent, it shouldn’t matter in terms of quality where you end up buying them again. Brussels should take a less bureaucratic and more commercial approach here and buy from an existing US partner rather than being forced to buy from somewhere else.
Thorsten Gerber, CEO of the Gerber Group, said to Brussels today: “People, pack your bags and get on the plane. Take the first step and approach President Trump proactively. This could be a deal maker for the EU.” He went on to say: “A little tip: it is normal in business life to push through important appointments – especially when it comes to important customers or suppliers or close allies.”
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