European Union

EU Greenlights First Set of Tariffs Hitting Back at US

The EU on Wednesday adopted its first measures hitting back at President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught, targeting more than 20 billion euros of US goods, including soybeans, motorcycles, and beauty products. The levies of up to 25 percent are retaliation for US duties on steel and aluminum imposed last month -- with Europe's response to ...

Major Trade Wars Since the 19th Century

As the world reels from US President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught, here is a look back at some major trade wars since the 19th century: 19th century Opium Wars In the mid-19th century, two conflicts over the opium trade, which became known as the Opium Wars, pitted China against the British Empire. The first began in 1839, when Britain ...

EU Proposes 25% Tariffs on US Goods, But Not Bourbon

The EU plans tariffs of up to 25 percent on US goods in retaliation for levies on metals but will spare bourbon to shield European wine and spirits from reprisals, according to a document seen by AFP on Tuesday. The proposed tariffs –drawn up since President Donald Trump's duties on steel and aluminum took effect last month –aim to show EU ...

EU Offers US Zero Tariffs for Cars and Other Industrial Goods

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday the EU had offered the United States a bilateral tariff exemption for cars and other industrial goods as it works to avert an all-out transatlantic trade war. "We stand ready to negotiate with the United States. Indeed, we have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods, as ...

Trade War: World Markets Plunge Under the Weight of New Taxes

Global markets are reeling from Donald Trump's trade war and Chinese retaliation, causing serious concerns for the global economy. After two days of decline, the European stock markets plunged to an all-time low, with indices such as the DAX and CAC 40 sharply down. In Asia, markets suffered a “Black Monday,” with Hong Kong recording its worst ...

EU Announces 'New Era' in Relations With Central Asia

The EU announced a "new era" in ties with Central Asia on Friday at a major summit in Uzbekistan, as Brussels presses its influence in the region in the face of Russian and Chinese competition. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has accelerated the region's drift from Moscow's orbit, with major powers to both the West and East sensing an opening. The ...

Europe Markets Extend Losses After Tariff Rout

European equities opened in the red on Friday, extending losses after US President Donald Trump's tariff offensive sparked a global stock market rout. Paris shed 0.9 percent to 7,533.26 points, Frankfurt fell 0.7 percent to 21,566.33 and London also dropped 0.7 percent to 8,416.32. Trump's harsher-than-expected "Liberation Day" levies sent ...

Trump's New Tariffs: A Storm Brewing in Troubled Waters

President Donald Trump's recent decision to impose historic tariffs on 185 countries and territories, announced on Thursday, has reverberated across the global economy. The repercussions of these tariffs will be felt worldwide, with Arab countries being especially impacted. Among the hardest-hit nations are Syria, Iraq, Libya, Algeria and Tunisia, ...

Dollar, Stocks Sink as Gold Hits High on Trump Tariffs

The dollar and equity markets tumbled Thursday after President Donald Trump's latest tariffs salvo against countries worldwide, fanning a trade war that many fear will spark recession and ramp up inflation. The dollar slumped by as much as 2.6 percent versus the euro, its biggest intraday plunge in a decade, and suffered sharp losses also against ...

Rubio Says US Committed to NATO - But Tells Allies to Spend More

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told nervous NATO members on Thursday that Washington remained committed to the alliance, but said they must agree to massively ramp up their spending targets for defense. President Donald Trump has rattled Europe by casting doubt on his willingness to defend all allies, and by reaching out to Russia over the war ...

Azerbaijan Presses Armenia to Meet 'Demands' for Peace Deal

Azerbaijan on Wednesday insisted that arch-foe Armenia must meet Baku's "legitimate demands" before the Caucasus neighbours can sign a peace treaty, the text of which they agreed upon last month. The two ex-Soviet republics announced on March 14 they had wrapped up talks aimed at resolving their decades-long conflict, with both sides agreeing on ...

Ineligibility and Prison: The End of Marine Le Pen’s Presidential Dreams?

Five years of ineligibility with immediate effect and four years in prison, two of which are to be served, in the fake jobs scandal at the European Parliament. This ruling, handed down today by the Paris Criminal Court, may well wipe out Marine Le Pen’s chances of running in the 2027 presidential election. It’s nothing less than a major ...