Morteza Makki \u2013 European Affairs Expert<\/p>\n
In April 2025, the Trump administration, citing vague provisions of the trade law and claiming to protect domestic industries, imposed heavy tariffs on goods imported from Europe. These measures, which include sectors such as automobiles, luxury goods, technology, and food, are reminiscent of the confrontational trade policies of Trump\u2019s first term (2017-2021). Trump described these measures as \u201ca necessary response to structural injustices in trade relations.\u201d Still, analysts see them more than anything as a sign of the return of American unilateralism in international economic relations.<\/p>\n
The new US tariffs, averaging 20 to 30 percent, cover a wide range of European exports, mainly targeting Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. The European Central Bank has warned that the decision could reduce the eurozone\u2019s economic growth by half a percentage point. In addition, European stock markets have also experienced adverse fluctuations following the announcement of these decisions.<\/p>\n
The Bruegel Center for Economic Research has warned in a report that this tariff war will disrupt cross-border supply chains and benefit third-party economies such as China.\u00a0 In response to Trump\u2019s actions, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the decision \u201cin violation of WTO principles, the spirit of Western cooperation, and a political move.\u201d She called for dialogue and warned that the EU would use legal and economic tools to respond if this trend continues.<\/p>\n
In this context, the EU Council of Ministers unanimously approved in an extraordinary meeting to impose retaliatory tariffs worth 26 billion euros on American goods, including agricultural products, pickup trucks, and industrial equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe US tariff policy is not only damaging the European economy but also the cohesion of the Western world,\u201d said Kaia Kallas, the EU\u2019s foreign policy chief. She says, \u201cThe transatlantic alliance is based on mutual interests, not economic force.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTrump\u2019s approach reflects a geopolitical vision of trade in which economic dependence must become an instrument of domination,\u201d wrote the think tank Chatham House in an analysis of the crisis. According to the center, Europe must review its foreign policy assumptions towards the United States to maintain its strategic independence.<\/p>\n
The German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) also wrote in a report: \u201cEurope should not simply react, but should think about strengthening its internal capacity to withstand future shocks.\u201d The center suggests that Europe design an immediate industrial protection mechanism against foreign sanctions and tariffs.<\/p>\n
Although Europe and the United States have faced challenges in the past decades, their relations have been based on a strategic alliance within the framework of institutions such as NATO, the WTO, and the Group of Seven. However, recent developments show that this alliance has become more conditional, fragile, and under pressure in the era of Trump’s comeback.<\/p>\n
In one of her recent speeches, von der Leyen said: \u201cWe cannot build Europe\u2019s future based on political choices in Washington.\u201d This statement reflects a fundamental shift in Europe\u2019s strategic vision: Europe is no longer redefining its role as a subordinate partner, but as an independent power.<\/p>\n
What has happened today in the form of tariffs is not just a trade dispute but a symptom of a deeper fault line in the Western world. If Europe fails to respond to this time gap, it will suffer economically and politically, and its global position will be weakened. In the not-too-distant future, Europe seems to have to choose between two options: continuing to depend on an unpredictable partner like the United States, or moving towards strategic independence by relying on its intracontinental capabilities and diversifying its global partners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: In recent weeks, the United States\u2019 new tariff policies have also affected the goods of traditional American allies in Europe, once again activating the conditions for creating tension in transatlantic relations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":344028,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13,13268,12726],"tags":[12740,25355,13284,42882,42883,12870],"class_list":["post-344110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-note","category-10-en-2","tag--en","tag-europes-strategic-independence","tag-morteza-makki-en","tag-tariff-war-en-4","tag-transatlantic-alliance-en-2"],"yoast_head":"\n