Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever (Flemish nationalist N-VA) has called the US import tariffs announced by President Trump ‘a catastrophe for the global economy’. At the same time, he sees this as ‘the perfect moment’ to conclude trade agreements with countries other than the US.
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PM Bart De Wever: ‘Let's find the opportunities in this crisis and seize them’
Colin Clapson
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Prime minister Bart De Wever says the higher import tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump are ‘the biggest tax increase for US consumers of recent history’. But they will also have consequences in Belgium. ‘We will first have to face the reality of these tariffs, on both sides of the Atlantic, before people will again appreciate the importance of free trade.’
According to Mr De Wever, Belgium and the EU should not just strike back. ‘I can only hope that the Western world will abandon welfare-destroying, protectionist madness.’ The prime minister thinks work should be made of a strengthened European single market and free trade agreements with other countries should be concluded.
‘Europe is in this together. It seems to me the perfect time for Europe assertively to start signing free trade agreements with new partners around the world. They are looking to us more than ever. As a superpower turns its back on the world, more than ever Europe must signal that it is open for business,’ Mr De Wever said. ‘As Europeans, let us see the opportunity in this crisis and seize it.’