Manila, Philippines. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned the United States’ rationale for imposing new tariffs on European goods, rejecting allegations that the bloc had weak forced labour controls.
Kallas said the EU would seek clarification from Washington, describing the measures as a negative surprise after the bloc had honoured commitments under a transatlantic trade agreement reached last year.
Tariff concerns
Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Manila on Friday, Kallas said allegations concerning the EU’s labour standards were not grounded.
“You can’t say that for the European Union,” she said. “If you compare our labour laws to the ones of the United States, I mean, we have paid vacations, we have very good labour conditions for our employees, so it’s not really grounded.”
The Trump administration imposed new tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, including the European Union, over allegations of lax enforcement of forced labour bans. The measures were introduced as a temporary 10% global tariff expired.
Asked whether the EU had expected to be included, Kallas said: “Who can keep track of the tariffs going on and off? No, we were not expecting this.”
Trade agreement
The tariffs are the latest effort to restore President Donald Trump’s campaign vision of a near-global tariff after the US Supreme Court earlier this year struck down “reciprocal” tariffs imposed under emergency powers to reduce the US trade deficit.
Kallas said the EU had met its obligations under the transatlantic agreement and viewed the new action as a shock.
“We had a deal with America and we have kept to that deal, that side of the deal,” she said. “That’s why this is a negative surprise that this agreement is not kept.”
Russia sanctions
Separately, Kallas said the EU’s latest sanctions package against Russia was intended to increase pressure on Moscow and restrict its ability to finance the war in Ukraine.
“It is to deprive them of the financing of this war,” she said.