What they said: 9 reactions from world leaders to Trump’s trade war

Among the new tariffs imposed by Trump, a 25% duty has been applied to cars manufactured abroad as of Wednesday midnight, which could have serious consequences for the Canadian automotive sector, in addition to the 25% tariffs on Canadian products and 10% on energy imposed last month. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Trump had fundamentally altered the international trade system and that Canada would retaliate with countermeasures. «We are going to protect our workers and we are going to build the strongest economy in the G7,» he added, announcing a 25% tariff on vehicles manufactured in the United States in return.

China reacted to the new tariffs imposed by Trump, including a reciprocal tariff of 34% which adds to the 20% tariff already in place earlier this year. Beijing stated that «there are no winners in trade wars and tariff wars» and added that it also planned to take «counter-measures», according to Reuters.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, reacted to Trump’s imposition of a 20% tariff on the European Union by stating that the EU would «always protect its interests and values». She described Trump’s tariffs as a «major blow to businesses and consumers around the world» and emphasized the need to move from confrontation to negotiation, as counter-tariffs are planned for mid-April.

As the Trump administration imposed a 10% tariff on all exports to the United States from Australia, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the move «totally unwarranted» and «not the act of a friend». However, he did not announce any countermeasures to these tariffs right away.

Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, expressed her satisfaction at being spared from new additional tariffs imposed by Trump in this new wave of global tariff measures, stating: «There are no new tariffs for Mexico, and that’s good news for the country». This comes as the United States applied a 25% tariff on cars imported from Mexico, but without imposing additional tariffs on other products.

French president Emmanuel Macron reacted by calling the tariffs imposed by Trump a «shock for international trade», describing them as a «brutal and unfounded’ decision that endangers the balance of the markets. Macron explained that the European response will be in two stages: the first in mid-April and the second at the end of the month.

The acting president of South Korea, Han Duck-soo, has described the 25% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration as extremely serious measures, stating that they reflect «the reality of a global trade war».

Japan’s Minister of Trade, Yoji Muto, stated that they need to think of a strategy following the surprise of 24% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, saying: «This requires a careful, yet bold and speedy approach».

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described Trump’s tariffs as an attack on the commercial order that has generated prosperity on a global scale, adding that «the US administration is setting off on a road at the end of which there will only be losers».