Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Australia’s Anthony Albanese are among the world leaders who have come out in criticism of US President Donald Trump, after he announced far-reaching import taxes on products from across the globe.
Meloni called a 20% tariff rate imposed on the European Union “wrong”, while Albanese said a 10% import tax on Australia’s goods was “unjustified.”
The US leader’s announcement includes a universal 10% baseline tariff on all imports into the US from 5 April. Around 60 countries – including the EU and China – will also be hit with steeper tariffs from 9 April.
Trump said the measures would “make America rich again”, adding that he had been “very kind” in his decisions.
Meloni, a Trump ally, said the EU tariffs would “not suit either party” – referring to the EU and the US – but that she would work towards a deal with the US to “prevent a trade war”.
Her Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez said Spain would protect its companies and workers and “continue to be committed to an open world”, while in Ireland, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Trump’s decision was “deeply regrettable” and benefited “no-one”.
Outside of the EU, China – one of the countries deemed the “worst offenders” by the US president – was hit the hardest with a 54% tax rate added to its goods.
The Ministry of Commerce urged the US to “immediately cancel” the tariffs, adding that China would “resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests.”
A commentary piece in China’s state-run news agency Xinhua said Washington’s “rampage” amounted to “self-defeating bullying” and an “oversimplistic tit-for-tat game”.
Economic officials in Israel, which had scrapped all tariffs on American imports ahead of the announcement, were said to be in “complete shock” over its 17% tariff, local media reported.
“We were sure that the decision to completely cancel tariffs on imports from the US would prevent this move”, an official told local media.
Elsewhere, South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo said the global trade war “has become a reality” and his government would be looking at ways to “overcome the trade crisis” after the East Asian country was hit with a 25% rate.
Japan said its 24% levy was “extremely regrettable” and could violate World Trade Organization and US-Japan agreements, while Thailand said it would negotiate its 36% tariff.
Other Asian economies, including Vietnam and Cambodia, are among those most impacted by Trump’s new measures.
White House officials said its levies were reciprocal to countries, such as China, which it said charge higher tariffs on US goods, impose “non-tariff” barriers to US trade or have otherwise acted in ways the government feels undermine American economic goals.
Leaders from countries subject to the 10% baseline rate have also reacted to Trump’s measures, with Australia’s Albanese saying Americans would end up paying the biggest price for what he called “unjustified tariffs”.
His government will not impose reciprocal measures, he said, adding: “We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth”.
A Downing Street source told the BBC that the UK’s lower tariff “vindicates” the government’s recent efforts towards a trade deal with the US.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the government remained “fully focused on negotiating an economic deal with the US that strengthens our existing fair and balanced trading relationship”.
In Latin America, its biggest economy, Brazil, approved a law in congress on Wednesday – the Economic Reciprocity Law – to counter the 10% tariff imposed by Trump.
The foreign ministry said it would evaluate “all possible actions to ensure reciprocity in bilateral trade, including resorting to the World Trade Organization”.
Shortly after Trump’s announcement, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned countries not to “retaliate” and “sit back, take it in”.
“Because if you retaliate, there will be escalation”, he told Fox News.
Noticeably, the US’s two biggest trade partners, Canada and Mexico, were not mentioned in Wednesday’s announcements.
The White House said it would deal with both countries according to previous executive orders, which imposed 25% tariffs on the two nations as part of efforts to address fentanyl and border issues.
Regardless, Canada will still be impacted by the tariffs, Prime Minister Mark Carney said. Measures such as the 25% tariff on automobiles starting at midnight on Thursday would “directly affect millions of Canadians”, he added.
He vowed to “fight these tariffs with counter measures”, adding that the US levies would “fundamentally change the global trading system.”
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