Brussels, April 4 (LaPresse) – "The price is paid through a trade war. Flexing muscles over tariffs causes economic damage for everyone. It was a mistake to open this confrontation, and it would be a mistake to respond with a tariff war. Strength is shown through one’s attitude. A loud, muscular reaction is a sign of weakness. True strength leads to reactions that can produce useful results. There's not a single entrepreneur in Italy asking for a trade war. So, who are we supposed to please by triggering a tariff war? We need to send signals and negotiate with the Americans with our heads held high."
So said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani during a press point at NATO in Brussels.
"If the European Council on Monday," he added, "decides to unfreeze the list of American goods that could be subject to tariffs, it must be done by carefully evaluating which products would not harm our businesses and exports. Everything must be assessed with great calm and composure. As you know, today there’s a conversation between Sefcovic and the U.S. Trade Representative, and it will still take a few more days before the list can be finalized. We’ll see around the 15th, a hypothetical date when the announcement might be made. So, we must reflect calmly. A violent reaction only causes harm.
My point is not to say: the Americans did something, so now I’ll retaliate. Retaliating against the Americans means retaliating against Italians and Europeans, and that seems like utter nonsense to me. So, any reaction must be thoughtful, intelligent, and must not lead to escalation."
Tajani also emphasized: "Yelling is useless. China does what it wants, Canada does what it wants, and we are Europe — we act according to our own interests."