The new American leader has turned out to be quite the manipulator. According to Bloomberg, President Donald Trump has threatened to slap additional tariffs on goods from European countries. This is his way of pushing EU nations to buy more American oil and gas.
After his inauguration, Trump announced that the US now has more energy resources than other countries. He sees this as an opportunity to make money, aiming to turn the nation into a major player in oil and gas sales.
"I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large-scale purchase of our oil and gas," Trump said. "Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way!!!," he added.
Even before taking office, Trump was warning the EU about tariffs. Back in late December 2024, he declared that Europeans had to make up for their huge deficit in relations with the US by purchasing American energy resources on a large scale.
Currently, the proposed tariff stands at 10% on all imports from Europe. In 2023, this trade amounted to €500 billion. Following these threats, Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, admitted that buying more American goods might be necessary. Officials believe this tactic is needed to avoid a trade war with the United States.
