The intended EU countermeasures in the trade war with the US government may also make digital services. That says a French government spokesperson. The Irish Trade Minister immediately denied.
Chairman of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen described The new import tariffs that US President Donald Trump announced on 2 April as a big blow to the world economy.
She said that the European Union is willing to respond with countermeasures if the conversations with Washington fail. Trump announced a minimum rate of 10 percent on most goods imported to the United States, with a higher rate of 20 percent for the European Union.
Digital services
The EU is working on a package of countermeasures on goods in response to the taxes that the US imposed on the steel and aluminum industry on 12 March. A spokesperson for the French government said that further measures for a broader range of goods and services can come into effect at the end of April, according to the news agency Reuters. Nothing would have been decided yet, but services, especially digital services, will probably be a focus.
Tackling American digital services as a counter -measure is not the position of the European Union and would be very harmful to Ireland, the Irish trading Minister Simon Harris responded on 3 April. Many American tech giants have their EU headquarters in Ireland.
“I can understand why countries refer to the instruments that are at our disposal, if they are needed, but we really have to work on it to prevent us ever coming to that point,” said Harris thus Reuters.
ASML
The Trump government measures cause turmoil on international trade fairs. Chip machine maker ASML got heavy blows at the Amsterdam stock exchange. CEO Christophe Fouquet says that the company from Veldhoven is struggling because of the US trade rates, according to the NOS.
