Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
A statement by the European Commission in Brussels this morning, Monday, said that "At this stage, we have not received any official notification regarding the imposition of additional customs duties on EU goods. We will not respond to public announcements without details or written clarification.
The European Union sees no justification for imposing customs duties on its exports. We will respond to protect the interests of European companies, workers and consumers from unjustified measures.
The European Union's executive body added through the statement, a copy of which we received, "In general: Imposing customs duties would be illegal and economically unproductive, especially given the integrated production chains created by the European Union and the United States through transatlantic trade and investment.
Tariffs are essentially taxes. By imposing customs duties, the United States taxes its citizens, raises business costs, and fuels inflation. Moreover, customs duties increase economic uncertainty and disrupt the efficiency and integration of global markets.