US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to slap a 200 per cent tariff on all wines and other alcoholic products coming out of Europe if the European Union does not scrap its planned tax on American whiskey.
Ramping up a global trade war in response to blanket US tariffs on steel and aluminium, the European Commission said on Wednesday that it will impose counter tariffs on €26 billion (US$28 billion) worth of US goods from next month.
The EU executive said, however, that it remained open to negotiations and considered higher tariffs in no one’s interest.
Trump raised the ante in a social media post on Thursday.
“The European Union, one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World, which was formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States, has just put a nasty 50 per cent Tariff on Whiskey,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the US will shortly place a 200 per cent Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER EU REPRESENTED COUNTRIES. This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the US”