Responses to Trump’s tariffs from East to West: Chinese push, Japanese hesitation, and European responses.
Some nations have decided to play the reciprocal duty card, while others have opted for discussion in reaction to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, while the United Kingdom, India, and Japan have chosen to wait and see. This is how the world’s major countries have reacted to the trade war begun by the United States.
China has chosen arm wrestling. Beijing has said it is ready to “fight to the end”, so much so that the Ministry of Commerce has promised countermeasures against the new duties, calling them “unilateral bullying”.
The Trump administration has hit Beijing with duties of 125%, a decision that has pushed the government to introduce similar tariffs on US goods as well as providing restrictions for several US companies involved in arms sales to Taiwan.
Trump has then raised the level of the conflict by threatening, in the event that China does not cancel the retaliatory duties against the US, further duties on Chinese goods of up to 104% starting today. A tension also linked to the numbers: the United States has the largest trade deficit with China, equal to 295.4 billion, in 2024.
The EU response to Trump Tariffs
Instead, the European Union has chosen the road of counter-duties while remaining open to discussions. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced yesterday that the 27 countries will stand united against 20% taxes on EU goods.
The target will be US items worth 22 billion euros, with counter-duties of up to 25% levied. Among the EU members, Spain stands out for launching a 14 billion aid package for businesses as a buffer against levies.
The United Kingdom, on the other hand, is aiming for a trade deal with the United States. Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not mention possible retaliation against US tariffs and stressed that negotiations for a trade deal are ongoing. Israel is also on the list of countries subject to increased tariffs: in early April, the United States introduced duties of 17%.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Donald Trump at the White House, becoming the first foreign leader to visit the US president since Liberation Day. Netanyahu promised to eliminate the trade imbalance with the United States and added that Israel will also work to eliminate trade barriers. “Israel can serve as a model for many countries that should do the same,” Netanyahu said, stressing that the country is a champion of free trade, “and free trade must be fair trade.” The United States recorded a trade deficit of $7.4 billion with Israel in 2024.
Responses from Japan and India
India, on the other hand, is erring on the side of caution. The New York Times reports that the commerce ministry said it was “carefully examining the implications of the various measures” announced by the United States after Trump imposed 27% tariffs on the country. Trump has repeatedly expressed anger over the United States’ large trade deficit with India , despite his close ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Japan is also holding off on imposing immediate tariffs on U.S. goods, with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba calling the tariffs “extremely regrettable”. He added that his government was trying to reiterate to the Trump administration that Japan is a strategic partner for the United States in its reindustrialisation process.
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