Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said US tariffs on European Union imports are “wrong”, after US President Donald Trump announced he would begin charging a 20% rate on EU goods.
Meloni is one of the many world leaders reacting to Trump’s “liberation day” announcements, which include a universal 10% baseline tariff on all imports into the US from 5 April.
Around 60 countries – including the EU – will be hit with steeper tariffs from 9 April. Some of the highest rates will be levied on smaller countries, such as Lesotho, which has been hit with a 50% levy.
Trump said the measures would “make America rich again”, adding that he had been “very kind” in his decisions.
Meloni, a Trump ally, said the EU tariffs would “not suit either party” – referring to the EU and the US – but that she would work towards a deal with the US to “prevent a trade war”.
Her Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez said Spain would protect its companies and workers and “continue to be committed to an open world.”
Irish trade minister Simon Harris said he was ready to negotiate with the US, calling it the “best way forward”, while Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Trump’s decision was “deeply regrettable” and benefitted “no-one”.
Outside of the EU, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Americans would end up paying the biggest price for what he called “unjustified tariffs”, but said his government would not impose reciprocal measures.
“We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth”, he added.
Latin America’s biggest economy, Brazil, approved a law in congress on Wednesday – the Economic Reciprocity Law – to counter the 10% tariff imposed by Trump. There was no immediate reaction from the president, but last week Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said his country “cannot stand still” in face of the tariffs.
Shortly after Trump’s announcement, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned countries not to “retaliate” and “sit back, take it in”.
“Because if you retaliate, there will be escalation”, he told Fox News.
Noticeably, the US’s two biggest trade partners, Canada and Mexico, were not mentioned in Wednesday’s announcements.
The White House said it would deal with both countries according to previous executive orders, which imposed 25% tariffs on the two nations as part of efforts to address fentanyl and border issues.
Regardless, Canada will still be impacted by the tariffs, Prime Minister Mark Carney said. Measures such as the 25% tariff on automobiles starting at midnight on Thursday would “directly affect millions of Canadians”, he added.
He vowed to “fight these tariffs with counter measures”, adding that the US levies would “fundamentally change the global trading system.”
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