EU Countries Must Not Split Over US Import Tariffs – German Foreign Minister

BERLIN (Sputnik) - EU countries must not split over import tariffs planned by the United States, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said at a joint briefing with his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok on Thursday.

"Another issue we tackled was regarding what we hear from the United States, particularly trade practices and import tariffs. It is important that here in Europe we do not let them divide us. We think that tariffs … impede free trade, they’ll harm it and all parties will sustain losses," Maas said.

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He also expressed joy over the consensus the EU Foreign Ministers reached on the matter at the last EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

Earlier in March, US President Donald Trump leveraged national security concerns to issue an order that imposes 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent duties on aluminum imports. At the same time the United States suggested exemptions for Canada, Mexico, and other countries if they can prove their goods do not pose threat to national security. Washington’s trade move is being criticized for posing a threat to global economic relations and potentially leading to a major trade war.