The United States insists on increasing energy exports to the EU, threatening trade tariffs

Donald Trump has once again raised the issue of trade relations between the United States and the European Union, threatening to impose duties on European goods if EU countries do not increase purchases of American oil and gas. He insists on compensating for the huge US trade deficit with the EU, which, in his opinion, can be eliminated by expanding imports of American fuel.

Since Trump won the election a month ago, EU countries and their leaders have been preparing for trade aggression from the United States. In 2017, the bloc was unprepared when Trump imposed tariffs on European steel and aluminum for national security reasons. This incident has forced the EU to review its trade strategy and develop tools to counteract such coercive measures.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock said that the EU is ready for any challenges from the new US administration. She stressed that if the US administration follows an «America First» policy on climate or trade issues, the European Union will respond with a united front.

The threat of tariffs from Trump covers countries from China to Canada, with an emphasis on countries with trade deficits with the United States. Europe, as the largest market for American LNG, secured more than 50% of all supplies last year.