Trump criticizes "unfair" trade policies - Reciprocal tariffs, as a response to strengthen the American economy
In a notable shift in domestic policy, US President Donald Trump sharply criticized several countries for what he described as "unfair" trade practices against the US.
He specifically singled out the European Union, India, Mexico and Brazil, noting that these countries and "many others" had imposed trade policies that harmed American interests. "This is happening both by friend and foe," Trump declared.
The head of the White House announced that starting April 2, the US will impose "reciprocal tariffs," that is, the same tariffs against countries that impose taxes on American products.
According to Trump, historically the US has imposed lower tariffs than many of its trading partners and now is the time to change this trend.
This week, the Trump administration imposed significant tariffs on Mexico and Canada. In response, both countries announced retaliatory tariffs, raising concerns that this could ignite a full-blown trade war.
Economists have warned that such a conflict could raise consumer prices, but Trump remained steadfast in his stance that the US had been treated unfairly by foreign trading partners for years.
"We're going to take trillions and trillions of dollars and create jobs like we've never seen before," Trump said, signaling that his administration's tough stance on tariffs would significantly boost the U.S. economy and manufacturing sector.
In particular, the US president pointed to the US auto industry, which he claimed was "absolutely booming", thanks to a combination of the tariffs and his victory in the 2016 election. He acknowledged that the tariffs would create some "disruption", but assured that the country would not have a problem with this.
Trump praised Mexico for its recent efforts to extradite cartel leaders to the US, but he called for more action, particularly to combat fentanyl trafficking.
"But we need more from Mexico and Canada to stop the flow of fentanyl," he said, calling on Congress to pass a bill that would increase border security and reduce drug trafficking.
In addition, Trump reiterated his stance on immigration, stating that his administration had already submitted a detailed funding request to Congress aimed at "conducting the largest deportation operation in U.S. history."
Economy: 'Rescue' and relief for working families
Trump also addressed the state of the US economy, claiming that one of his top priorities was to "save the economy" and provide "relief" for American families. He blamed the previous administration for the economic challenges he inherited, describing it as an "economic disaster and an inflationary nightmare."
The president said the current economic woes were a direct result of policies enacted under Joe Biden. "I'm fighting every day to make America affordable again," Trump said, vowing to reverse the economic downturn and lower costs for working-class families.
He criticized Biden for sharply rising prices for goods like eggs, calling it an example of “out of control” inflation. Trump promised to tackle these issues head-on, aiming to make life more affordable for American families struggling with rising costs.
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