Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on Thursday criticized President Trump’s expansive tariffs unveiled the day before.
“I would like to speak directly to my fellow Europeans. I know that many of you feel let down by our oldest ally,” von der Leyen said during a press conference.
“Yes, we must brace for the impact that this will inevitably have. Europe has everything it needs to make it through the storm,” she added.
Trump unveiled a 10-percent baseline tariff on imports from every foreign country on Wednesday, alongside higher tariff rates for many nations that the White House labeled the “worst offenders” on trade barriers.
The 10-percent tariff is set to go into effect on Friday, while around 60 countries facing higher reciprocal tariffs are expected to see those rates go into effect on April 9. A 25-percent tariff on all foreign-made automobiles went into effect Thursday.
The European Union’s countries are among those being targeted with reciprocal tariffs, alongside others like China, Vietnam, India and South Korea.
“President Trump’s announcement of universal tariffs on the whole world, including the European Union, is a major blow to the world economy. I deeply regret this choice. Let’s be clear-eyed about the immense consequences. The global economy will massively suffer,” von der Leyen said Wednesday.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Wednesday weighed in on the recent tariff announcement from Trump, saying to Capitol reporters that the fresh taxes are going to “come back to haunt” the president and result in higher prices.
“The president’s tariffs threaten recession, but very immediately they are attacks, they’ll raise prices on everything from electricity to gas to groceries,” Blumenthal said.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment on von der Leyen’s remarks.