On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced a series of punitive tariffs targeting countries around the globe, including some of America’s closest trading partners.
This move has the potential to ignite a damaging trade war. Speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House, Trump imposed significant tariffs on China and the European Union, referring to the day as “Liberation Day.”
“Today, we’re standing up for the American worker, and we are finally putting America first,” Trump declared. He claimed that the US has provided support to countries worldwide and suggested that when the US tries to reduce this support, those countries become upset.
Donald Trump announces 30% tarrifs for South Africa
Trump stated that the tariffs demonstrate the intention to prioritize American citizens.
“We truly can be very wealthy. We can be so much wealthier than any country, it’s not even believable, but we’re getting smart,” he noted.
He announced that the US would impose a 25% tariff on all foreign-made automobiles, effective at midnight ET, to address what he described as “horrendous imbalances” that threaten the country’s industrial base and national security.
Trump’s tariff increases were met with widespread condemnation from world leaders on Wednesday evening. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Trump’s 10% tariffs on Australian exports “totally unwarranted.”
“These tariffs are not unexpected, but let me be clear: they are completely unjustified. President Trump referred to reciprocal tariffs, but a reciprocal tariff would be zero, not 10%,” Albanese remarked at a joint news conference Thursday in Melbourne with Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrell. “This is not the action of a friend. Today’s decision will create uncertainty in the global economy and increase costs for American households,” he added.
Trump imposes tariffs
Despite this backlash, Trump maintained that he does not blame other countries for “this calamity.”
“I blame former presidents and past leaders who weren’t doing their job. They let it happen, and they let it happen to an extent that nobody can even believe. That’s why, effective at midnight, we will impose a 25% tariff on all foreign-made automobiles,” he stated as per CNN.
Do you think Trump is being a bully or just looking after America?
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