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#uspol Maybe the #EU should align with its allies and Partners on US tariffs. Find the weak spots in the US export structure (aka things they_really_ need to sell) and put the very same tariff on it, all over the world. If we align and work together we are much stronger. But we need to do it together, not each on its own.
That's not realistic because our economies are very different. What the US really needs is often something China has cleverly built (quasi) monopolies on.
@proscience we need to find, what they really need to sell. What they need gets more expensive because of their own tariffs. But if we have tariffs in Product Group A in Canada for Group B in the EU and for C in Japan the pain is distributed over different companies. If we all take the same group the pain will be more concentrated, hitting a specific pool of companies. If they start getting bankrupt shit will hit the fan for the Orange one.
I had that wrong on the first try, sorry for confusion
It won't work because apart from China, the EU, Canada and Mexico nobody hits back. Not even Norway.
And certainly we don't want to bind ourselves to China's retaliatory measures ...
So that leaves the EU + Canada + Mexico. Not nothing but far from the punch needed.
AFAIR the EU and Canada have some sort of talk about retaliatory measures behind closed doors but that's it.
@felix_eckhardt or add a surcharge of 35% to the imports they buy from us such as potash and rare earth minerals etc
@Becksy yeah, that might be helpful as well. And even more helpful if we align and do it together.
I think the EU has already found the weak spot: military hardware. The EU needs to rearm, fast, and most leaders have already said they would buy European, and not American.
Unsurprisingly, it is already feeling the heat:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-officials-object-european-push-buy-weapons-locally-2025-04-02/
@ParadeGrotesque Too little, even when done on time. US export is like 2 Trillion. Weapons export is roughly 300 Billion. 1,5% and the EU part of this is even smaller. We need to hit multiple targets. And we need to do this with as many partners as possible.
Agreed, but one thing you need to remember is that (a) most military equipment in the US is made in 'red' MAGA states and (b) military hardware requires constant maintenance and spare parts, which add up very quickly.
Both of these could mean serious pain for Trump and his cronies. Go explain in Alabama or Texas that factories are closing because Europeans said "no thanks" even though they are supporting their own defense companies...
@ParadeGrotesque I am not too familiar with US defense industry, but that sounds correct to me. And I agree: this will be hurting the US. I just don't think it will be enough.
Remember as well that defense industry jobs are the closest thing to a 'safe job' in the USA, and this has been the case for decades now...