1. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that he was serious about imposing tariffs on European cars because he could not conclude a trade agreement with the European Union. "They know that I'm going to impose tariffs on them if they don't sign a contract that is fair," He said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal during the world economic forum.
Trump has refused to indicate a time frame for negotiations before he sets the road tarrifs into motion. "They know how long...", the president said, adding that he will soon announce it publicly.
Meanwhile, Cecilia Malmstrom, the former European trade commissioner, said last year that the EU believes that the November 13 deadline, which was set for the introduction of car tariffs, is an indicator that Washington will not impose duties on car imports from Europe. She said that EU would respond with duties on American exports.
2. Trump also confirmed that he had reached an agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron to postpone the tax that France charged on major technology companies last year, until the end of 2020. The US president said that he threatened to impose a 100% tax on French wine if the agreement was rejected.
"It's not that I'm in love with them," he said, pertaining to American tech companies, "it's just that if someone is going to tax these companies, the U.S. will tax them in return."
3. The President also said that his administration is working on a tax cut for the middle class, which will take effect if he retains the presidency and Republican control of congress after the 2020 election.
"We are talking about something quite significant... lower taxes for the middle class, which will be associated with the return of the House, and the preservation of the Senate and the White House." The President also confirmed that the administration is developing this version right now, and it will be presented in 90 days.
4. Trump further confirmed that he plans to add additional countries to an updated version of his ban on entering the United States, which the administration is due to issue at the end of this month. He has not said which countries will be added yet. In 2018, the Supreme Court confirmed Trump's right to block the entry of citizens from Muslim-majority countries, justifying that it is for national security.
The president also mentioned the U.S. economy in his speech, strongly confirming that the adoption of a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, as well as the signing of an agreement with China last week at an early stage, represent a model for future trade negotiations.
Ending his speech with the words: "how good things are in the United States." "The potential is huge. The potential for growth is huge, " he said, adding that the consequences of trade agreements have not yet emerged.
