Donald Trump’s decision to implement new tariffs on all goods entering the United States has been condemned as a “major blow to the world economy” by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Her statement aligns with reactions from several other countries, including China, which strongly opposed the move and warned of “resolute countermeasures” in response.
The backlash follows Trump’s announcement of a universal 10% tariff on all imports starting April 5. Additionally, about 60 countries will be subject to even higher tariffs beginning April 9.
The U.S. president defended the measures as a response to what he described as unfair trade policies. He asserted that he had been “very kind” in his approach and that the tariffs were designed to strengthen American manufacturing. “This move will make America wealthy again,” Trump said on Wednesday.
Speaking on Thursday morning, von der Leyen warned that the new tax on imports would cause “uncertainty to spiral,” leading to “dire” consequences for millions worldwide.
She highlighted the disproportionate effect on vulnerable nations, noting that many of them would now be subject to some of the highest U.S. tariffs.
Von der Leyen stressed that Europe would adopt a united stance and cautioned that the European Union—set to face a 20% tariff—was preparing countermeasures if negotiations with Washington failed. “If you take on one of us, you take on all of us,” she declared.
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, confirmed that discussions among EU member states would begin next week.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister and a Trump ally, criticized the decision as “wrong” but expressed her intention to negotiate with the U.S. to “prevent a trade war.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to an “open world,” while Ireland’s leader, Micheál Martin, called Trump’s decision “deeply regrettable” and said it benefited no one.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron scheduled a meeting with business leaders affected by the tariffs at the Élysée Palace on Thursday.
French government spokeswoman Sophie Primas signaled a tough stance, stating, “France is ready for this trade war.”
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk estimated that the tariffs could cost his country over 10 billion zloty (£2 billion; $2.6 billion), calling the move a “severe and unpleasant blow” on social media platform X.
Beyond Europe, China—one of the nations Trump labeled a “worst offender”—was hit with a 34% tariff on its goods, in addition to an existing 20% levy. This raises the total duty on Chinese imports to at least 54%.
China’s Ministry of Commerce urged Washington to “immediately cancel” the tariffs and vowed to “resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests.”
Taiwan, which faces a 32% tariff on exports to the U.S., denounced the move as “highly unreasonable.”
Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that his government would make “serious representations” to Washington over the issue.
In South Korea, acting President Han Duck-soo acknowledged that a global trade war had “become a reality.” He pledged to explore ways to “overcome the trade crisis” after his country was hit with a 25% tariff.
Japan expressed its disappointment over its 24% levy, calling it “extremely regrettable.” Officials noted that the tariff could violate agreements between the U.S. and Japan, as well as World Trade Organization rules.
Thailand, which now faces a 36% tariff, announced plans to negotiate with Washington in an effort to ease the impact on its economy.
Israel, which had previously eliminated all tariffs on American imports, was taken aback by a 17% tariff imposed on its goods.
Israeli economic officials expressed surprise, with one telling local media, “We were sure that the decision to completely cancel tariffs on imports from the U.S. would prevent this move.”
The White House defended its decision, stating that the tariffs were meant to be reciprocal, targeting countries that impose higher duties on U.S. goods or use “non-tariff” barriers to restrict American trade.
Among nations subject to the 10% baseline tariff, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese argued that Americans would suffer the most from these “unjustified tariffs.”
Albanese clarified that Australia would not implement retaliatory measures. “We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth,” he said.
A senior official from the UK government told the BBC that Britain’s lower tariff rate vindicated its efforts to secure a trade deal with the U.S.
On Thursday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reiterated his commitment to securing a trade deal with Washington but cautioned that his government would respond with “cool and calm heads.”
Meanwhile, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds revealed that the UK was preparing a list of American goods that could face retaliatory taxes if necessary. He added that British officials would consult businesses on potential countermeasures until May 1.
In Latin America, Brazil—its largest economy—approved a new law in Congress, the Economic Reciprocity Law, aimed at countering Trump’s 10% tariff.
Brazil’s foreign ministry announced that it would consider “all possible actions to ensure reciprocity in bilateral trade, including resorting to the World Trade Organization.”
Following Trump’s announcement, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cautioned other nations against retaliation, urging them to “sit back, take it in.”
“Because if you retaliate, there will be escalation,” he warned in an interview with Fox News.
Notably, the U.S.’s two largest trade partners, Canada and Mexico, were absent from Trump’s list of affected countries.
Despite this, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged that Canada would still feel the impact of the tariffs.
Carney pointed to the 25% tariff on automobiles, which takes effect at midnight on Thursday, as an example of a measure that would “directly affect millions of Canadians.”
He pledged to “fight these tariffs with countermeasures,” warning that U.S. actions could “fundamentally change the global trading system.”
Russia and North Korea, both U.S. adversaries, were also absent from the list of countries facing new tariffs.
The White House clarified that these nations would continue to be addressed under existing executive orders, which had already placed 25% tariffs on them as part of measures related to fentanyl and border security concerns.