“Yes, it’s a dark day.” Patrick Martin, president of Medef, guest, this Monday, July 28 in BFMTV, said his outrage after the customs duties signed between the European Union and the United States.
For the head of Medef, the way in which this agreement “is almost humiliation” was concluded for Europeans, while Aursula von der Leyen, president of the European Union, went to Scotland to meet Donald Trump, this Sunday, when he was in particular to play golf.
In addition, basically, Patrick Martin believes that in its current form, the agreement concluded that it is not satisfactory. “If things are what has been announced, it is unacceptable,” he said, regretting that in this agreement, there is no “reciprocity” in the customs duties applied on both sides.
However, the head of the bosses recognizes that the result of commercial negotiations between the United States and the European Union “could have been worse.” “Theoretically, we will gain stability and visibility,” said Patrick Martin, who admits “a form of relief for those who were most affected” by customs duties announced by Donald Trump up to 200%.
Medef calls EU to strengthen its economic power
At the beginning of Monday, Medef asked the European Union to strengthen its economic power, believing that it could not “be the adjustment variable” of US and Chinese commercial policies.
“If it is a minor evil and preserves some of our strategic sectors, this agreement illustrates the difficulty that the EU has yet to affirm the power of its economy and the importance of its domestic market. Therefore, it is urgent to deepen the last one,” said Medef in a written reaction transmitted to AFP.
He called to “implement” the reports of the former president of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi (on innovation and competitiveness) and the former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta (in the single market) and “diversify our commercial agreements with the rest of the world.” “Medef now demands it,” he insisted. “Europe cannot be the adjustment variable for US and Chinese policies,” he added.
President Donald Trump and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, concluded in Scotland a customs agreement that establishes that European products exported to the United States are taxed to 15%, with sectoral exemptions such as aeronautics. Donald Trump had threatened to apply a 30% rate since August 1 in the absence of agreement.
Europeans expect that at this price avoid a commercial escalation, but France expressed its disappointment, pleading that the EU will be firmer during the negotiations of the terms of application of the agreement.
Source: BFM TV
