Michael Hernandez
07 March 2018•Update: 07 March 2018
By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON
President Donald Trump and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven clashed Tuesday over Trump's proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Trump was adamant that he would proceed with the planned import penalties but said he will do "it in a very loving way", despite mounting opposition from Republicans and world leaders.
“Increased tariffs will hurt us all in the long run,” Lofven said. "As a Swede, I, of course, support the efforts of the European Union to achieve trade with fewer obstacles and as few as possible.”
Trump's proposal has raised alarm about a potential trade war that could negatively impact American industry and jobs. Most recently, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned that the tariffs could damage the American economy.
"There is a lot of concern among Republican senators that this could sort of metastasize into a larger trade war, and many of our members are discussing with the administration just how broad, how sweeping this might be," he told reporters, according to Politico.
Trump announced last week a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports.
It is unclear when the tariffs would take effect, but it could happen as soon as this week.
Trump has framed the import penalties as an element of his agenda to put “America first”.
He again took aim at the European Union, saying the EU makes "it almost impossible for us to do business with them" while threatening a 25 percent tax on EU cars.
"And yet they send their cars and everything else back into the United States," he said. "The European Union has not treated us well, and it's been a very, very unfair trade situation."
