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President Donald Trump has announced a 20% tariff on European Union (EU) goods, accusing the bloc of “ripping off” the United States with unfair trade practices. Speaking at the Make America Wealthy Again event, Trump justified the move as part of his “reciprocal tariff” strategy, which aims to counter what he perceives as decades of trade imbalances.
“The European Union, they’re very tough. Very, very tough traders,” Trump declared. “You think of the European Union” very friendly. They rip us off. It’s so sad to see. It’s so pathetic. 39 percent. We’re gonna charge them 20 percent. So we’re charging them essentially half.”
The president also praised Vietnam’s trade negotiators, calling them “great.”
He also announced a minimum baseline tariff of 10% on all imports, alongside a 25% duty on foreign-made automobiles, effective immediately.
The decision is part of Trump’s broader economic agenda, which has targeted major trading partners for what he calls “horrendous imbalances” in tariff rates. According to Trump, countries such as India, Vietnam, and Thailand impose significantly higher duties on U.S. goods, disadvantaging American manufacturers.
“The United States charges other countries only a 2.4% tariff on motorcycles. Meanwhile, Thailand and others are charging much higher prices, India charges 70%, Vietnam charges 75%, and others are even higher than that… Such horrendous imbalances have devastated our industrial base and put our national security at risk,” Trump said.
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