Foreign governments are weighing their options following President Trump's apparently capricious declaration of a trade war on Wednesday. "We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson, on bourbon, and on blue jeans — Levi's," said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker of possible means of retaliation should Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs plan be realized.
Canada, China, and the European Union have all pledged retaliatory tariffs targeting American industry, and Trump's proposal has reportedly undercut NAFTA negotiations with Canada and Mexico. "Why are we signing a trade deal with a country that would unilaterally decide to restrict certain sectors?" asked Jorge Guajardo, former Mexican ambassador to China.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Millions mourn as Vatican prepares for transitionFeature Pope Francis, the pontiff who challenged tradition, leaves the Catholic Church at a crossroad to choose his successor
-
A 'meltdown' at Hegseth's PentagonFeature The Defense Secretary is fighting to keep his job amid leaked Signal chats and staff turmoil
-
Reining in Iran: Talks instead of bombsFeature Trump edges closer to a nuclear deal with Iran—but is it too similar to former President Barack Obama's pact?
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loomSpeed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panelsSpeed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of businessSpeed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pausesSpeed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocksSpeed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor dealSpeed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US SteelSpeed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons mergerSpeed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
