Trump threatens Apple iPhones and EU products

On Friday, American president Donald Trump rekindled trade tensions, threatening a 50% rate on all the goods sent to the United States of the European Union.

He also warned Apple that he would impose an import tax of 25% “at least” on unpaid iPhones in America, later widening the threat to a smartphone.

The Warning against the EU came a few hours before the two parties were ready to have commercial talks. Last month, Trump announced a tariff of 20% on most EU goods, but reduced it by half to 10% until July 8 to give time for negotiations.

In a statement after the talks, the EU said that it was determined to conclude an agreement, while warning again that it was ready to retaliate.

“EU-US trade is unrivaled and must be guided by mutual respect, and not threats,” wrote the commissioner for trade in the European Union Maroš Šefčovič on social networks. “We are ready to defend our interests.”

Friday afternoon, in the remarks to the journalists of the White House, Trump expressed his impatience with the pace of the talks, saying that his plan to increase the prices on June 1 was established.

“I am not looking for an agreement-we have concluded the agreement,” he added, before immediately adding that a big investment in the United States by a European company could have it open.

“We will see what is going on, but right now, it’s happening on June 1,” he said.

Analysts said it was staying to see if Trump’s rhetoric would transform into reality.

“We have to keep in mind that at this point, this is a threat. This is not an announcement. There is no decree,” said the Commercial ASLAK Berg expert for the Center for European Reform to the BBC.

He said he thought that Trump’s position was intended to increase the lever effect before negotiations.

“But the fact is that the EU will not move. They will stay calm, continue and it will be a very difficult discussion this afternoon.”

Since returning to the White House, Trump has imposed and threatened various prices on goods from countries around the world, arguing that measures – which are a tax on imports – will stimulate American manufacturing and protect jobs from foreign competition.

The announcements have aroused concerns worldwide because they will make more and difficult for foreign companies to sell goods in the greatest economy in the world.

But Trump also fell from some of his most aggressive proposals after financial market disorders and sales outlets in the United States.

The actions of the United States and the EU dropped Friday after the last threats, the S&P 500 down approximately 0.7% and Germany and the CAC 40 of France ending the day by more than 1.5%.

Apple’s actions, which had a relief last month when Trump exempted key electronics, including smartphones from its prices, dropped by about 3%.

The officials of the time warned that it would be temporary. Addressing journalists later Friday, Trump said that he did not intend to distinguish Apple, but had planned to apply the tasks to all smartphones, which could start by the end of June.

The EU is one of the largest trade partners in the United States, sending more than $ 600 billion in goods in the United States last year and buying around $ 370 billion, according to US government figures.

Trump complaints concerning Europe have focused on this unequal commercial relationship, because the EU sells more goods in the United States than it bought from America.

He blames this trade deficit on policies which, according to him, are unfair to American companies, and he has specifically raised concerns concerning policies related to agricultural cars and products.

He targeted EU’s goods with a tariff of 20% in his so-called Liberation Day announcement last month, which sparked a burst of negotiations between the United States and the countries of the world.

While some countries, especially the smallest, have adopted a conciliation approach, the EU, like China and Canada, has pushed stronger against threats, saying that it is ready to retaliate by increasing its own prices on American products.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that he hoped for the threat “would turn on a fire under the EU”.

The politicians of the members of the block greeted him with dismay.

The Taoiseach Micheál Martin of Ireland said that the EU had engaged in “good faith” and had warned that the prices would be damaged on both sides.

“We don’t need to follow this path,” he said. “Negotiations are the best and the only sustainable path to follow.”

“We maintain the same line: de-escalation, but we are ready to answer,” wrote the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Laurent Saint-Martin, on social networks on Friday morning, adding that the pressure “helped” negotiations.

The German Minister of the Economy, Katherina Reiche, said that her country needed “more trade, no less”.

“We have to do everything to ensure that the European Commission is reaching a solution negotiated with the United States,” she said.

Trump has advanced prices, despite the general concerns of experts according to which new taxes will lead to economic damage while doing little to achieve its objectives.

Friday, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said that the idea that Apple would have iPhones in the United States was a “fairy tale that was not possible”.

He added that he expected that Apple continues to be able to sail in the situation, despite Trump’s last attack, which has long distinguished the company as he wants to see manufacturing in the United States.

Trump met Apple’s managing director Tim Cook at the White House, earlier this week, after expressing a misfortune about the company’s response to the prices.

Earlier this month, the company said it changed the production of most of its iPhones and other devices to be sold in the United States far from China, but to countries like India and Vietnam, rather than in the United States.

Trump earlier this month said he had a “little problem” with Mr. Cook and warned him: “I don’t want you to build in India”. “”