General Discussion

Allies and adversaries alike were reeling from Trump’s tariff blitz, with some signaling they were ready to retaliate, while others were still hoping for talks.

Updated
April 3, 2025 at 1:52 p.m. EDTyesterday at 1:52 p.m. EDT

... In France, President Emmanuel Macron called for companies to pause investments in the United States. China pledged retaliation against Trump’s “typical bullying.” Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba warned that the tariffs would have “significant repercussions” on the global economy ...

In Europe, most governments held back on specific countermeasures. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to respond with “cool and calm heads.” But beneath the diplomatic restraint simmered anger and fears of spreading economic chaos ...

European Union officials said they would hold trade talks with Washington in hopes of replacing the tariffs with a less punitive umbrella deal. E.U. ambassadors met Thursday to prepare phased countermeasures, which are likely to include new tariffs on U.S. goods and efforts to boost alternatives to American products, a senior European Commission official said.

“We love soybeans, but we can get them from Brazil; we do not need to get them from the United States,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. “We like Harley-Davidsons, but we also like Moto Guzzi or we can buy Yamaha, right?” ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/04/02/trump-tariffs-reaction-markets-retaliation/