Major U.S. trading partners wasted little time Thursday striking back against a White House move to slap steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union.
“This is protectionism, pure and simple,” said European Commission’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker, as European trade officials issued a list of hundreds of U.S. products, everything from peanut butter to motorcycles, which would now be subject to tariffs by European consumers.
Mexico, the third largest U.S. trade partner, said it would penalize U.S. imports including pork bellies, apples, grapes, cheeses and flat steel.
Canada, the second largest trade partner, behind China, responded with “dollar for dollar” tariffs against U.S. steel and aluminum exports.
The trade actions have opened the U.S. to criticism that it’s burning bridges at a time when Trump is seeking to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons and help stabilize the Middle East.
