EU-heffingen als vergelding op de Amerikaanse heffingen (25% aluminium, staal en auto’s, 20% op de meeste andere dingen) vanaf 15 april van kracht

The Empire Strikes Back met heffingen van 25% op een reeks aan Amerikaanse producten. En volgens Politico heeft de EU die heffingen expres gericht op Trumps Amerikaanse Red States: 

“Dig deeper, and it turns out the EU’s trade nerds have stirred some unaccustomed creativity into their expert knowledge of obscure customs codes, while channeling a helping of passive aggression to inflict pain on Trump’s base. (…) Overall, EU duties are set to hit up to $13.5 billion worth of exports from red states, according to POLITICO’s analysis of 2024 trade data. Let’s start with the EU’s No. 1 target — soybeans, the most valuable item on the bloc’s hit list, a product whose economic and symbolic significance for the Republican Party’s heartlands cannot be overstated. (…) The EU is also targeting beef from Kansas and Nebraska, poultry from Louisiana, car parts from Michigan, cigarettes from Florida, and wood products from North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.

While the Commission ended up dropping whiskey from the final draft after successful lobbying from France, Italy and Ireland, it did include other more niche items designed to cause the greatest pain to exporters in Republican states. These include (but are not limited to) ice cream from Arizona, handkerchiefs from South Carolina, electric blankets from Alabama, ties and bow ties from Florida (unless they’re made of silk, which Democratic California will be more than happy to provide), and washing machines from Wisconsin. Pasta from Florida and South Carolina will also face some tariff heat, though Italy will likely be delighted to fill the market gap.“

Ja, da’s toch knap boekhouden.