President Donald Trump’s new tax decisions have been met with reactions from many countries. Leaders stated, “We will take measures too, life will become more expensive for Americans.” An announcement from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce described it as “a typical application of unilateral bullying.” It was mentioned that China expressed opposition to the decision and declared its determination to take countermeasures to protect its rights and interests. The statement criticized the subjective and unilateral evaluations underlying the U.S.’s practice called “mutual tariff,” stating that it is not in line with international trade rules and threatens the legitimate rights and interests of the relevant parties. The statement also warned that this practice of unilateral bullying would not only harm the interests of the U.S., but also endanger global economic development and supply chain stability. The statement called on the U.S. to cancel unilateral tariff measures and resolve differences with trading partners through equal dialogue.

VON DER LEYEN: WE ARE ABOUT TO COMPLETE THE FIRST MEASURE PACKAGE

Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission, expressed her reaction to President Donald Trump’s new customs tax decision. Von Der Leyen stated, “We are about to complete the first measure package in response to the customs taxes on steel.” She emphasized that Trump’s tax decision would be a blow to the global economy and highlighted that millions of people would be affected by it in a very short time.

CANADA: WE WILL FIGHT BACK
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reminded that while Canada was excluded from the new tax list, customs taxes on steel and aluminum were still in place. Carney stated, “We will fight back with the measures we have taken against this.” Acting President of South Korea, Han Duck-soo, said that the trade war had now become a reality and emphasized the government’s need to take necessary measures. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated, “We will do everything to reach an agreement with America to avoid a trade war.” The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that they were assessing all possible steps to ensure reciprocity, expressing the regret of the decision.

“COSTS WILL INCREASE FOR AMERICANS”
Australian Prime Minister Antony Albanese recounted that the logic behind the U.S. government’s tax decision was flawed. He used the phrase, “Along with taxes, costs will increase for Americans.” In his statement, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, “Spain will continue to protect its companies and employees.” ABD, ÇIN’E YÜZDE 34 GÜMRÜK TARİFESİ UYGULAYACAK President Donald Trump had announced that starting from the next day, the U.S. would apply reciprocal tariffs to other countries, including a basic tariff rate above 10%, varying customs tariffs, and factors such as “non-monetary barriers in trade and forms of fraud.” It was reported that in addition to a 10% base tariff, a total of 34% additional customs tariffs would be imposed on China, with 24% being a “mutual tariff.” The new tariffs of 10% base tariff will come into effect on April 5th, and the additional 24% tariff will take effect on April 9th. President Trump had previously imposed a 10% customs duty on imports from China on February 1st; this tariff came into effect on February 4th. On March 4th, Trump increased the customs tariffs on China from 10% to 20%. The Beijing administration had responded to Trump’s tariff increases with additional customs duties on certain imported products from the U.S. and sanctions on U.S. companies.