WASHINGTON, 14 March. - (ANA) - President Donald Trump has vowed to escalate his unprovoked trade war by unilaterally imposing taxes on Americans’ purchases of alcoholic beverages imported from European Union countries if the 27-member bloc dares to enact a retaliatory tariff on American-made whiskey.

 

In an early-morning post on his Truth Social platform, Trump falsely claimed that the EU — which originated as a customs union to strengthen intra-continental ties in the wake of the Second World War — was “formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States” and called the body “one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the world”.

 

Trump said a 50 per cent tariff on Kentucky bourbon imposed by the EU as a result of his decision to place 25 per cent import taxes on American purchases of EU imports including automobiles — was “nasty” and demanded it be rescinded “immediately” or he would place a 200 per cent tax on “all wines, champagnes, [and] alcoholic products coming out of France and other EU represented countries”.

 

The president added that the 200 per cent surcharge on any imported alcohol would be “great for the wine and champagne businesses in the US” – even though there is no champagne business in the States because champagne is produced exclusively in the French region of the same name.

 

In a separate post a short time later, Trump repeated his false claim about the European Union’s history while attacking The Wall Street Journal for editorializing against his unprovoked trade war against American allies. He accused the broadsheet of being “owned by the polluted thinking of the European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of ‘screwing’ the United States of America” and claimed the US will soon “win on everything” because “tariff-related money is pouring into the United States”. - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/14 March 2025 - - -