The head of the European Commission says the EU needs to find new allies as trade disagreements with the US escalate.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated that the traditional notion of a unified West is outdated. She suggested that the EU no longer considers the US its primary trade partner, particularly after the imposition of significant tariffs by President Donald Trump.
In an interview with the German newspaper Die Zeit, von der Leyen cited a changing geopolitical landscape as a reason to explore markets beyond the US.
“The West as we knew it no longer exists,” she stated. “The world has become a globe also geopolitically, and today our networks of friendship span the globe, as you can see in the debate about tariffs.”
Her remarks follow the Trump administration’s implementation of a broad 20% tariff on all EU goods and a 25% tariff on car imports, aimed at addressing what Washington perceives as a substantial trade imbalance. The EU responded with its own 25% tariffs on US imports. However, Trump announced a temporary 90-day suspension of most global tariffs the previous week.
According to von der Leyen, the tensions with the US have had a “positive side effect,” as numerous countries seek closer ties with the EU. “Everyone is asking for more trade with Europe – and it’s not just about economic ties. It is also about establishing common rules and it is about predictability,” she said.
When asked if her comments signaled “a final farewell to the United States,” von der Leyen emphasized her strong belief in US-EU friendship. “But the new reality also includes the fact that many other states are seeking to draw closer to us. 13% of global trade is with the United States. 87% of the world’s trade is with other countries,” she stated.
Von der Leyen added that the EU should therefore “open up new markets for our companies and establish as close a relationship as possible with many countries that have the same interests as us.”
As tensions with the US increase – with Trump even suggesting the EU “was formed in order to screw” America – some EU leaders have advocated for a reassessment of bilateral relations. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron encouraged European companies to suspend new investments in the US, questioning, “What message would we send by investing billions… while they are hitting us?”
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