Majority of Western Europeans support retaliatory tariffs against US: Report

ISTANBUL

A majority of Western Europeans favor retaliating to new, higher tariffs threatened by US President Donald Trump, according to a YouGov EuroTrack survey released Tuesday.

“In the event that the US does impose tariffs on EU goods, the survey finds that the majority support retaliatory tariffs against America,” the report says, surveying seven countries including Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.

Danes are the most in favor of retaliation with 79%, according to the survey.

“In Germany, expected to be hit particularly hard given the size of their car manufacturing industry, two-thirds are in favor (68%),” the report said.

Italy is the country least supportive of retaliatory tariffs with 56%.

US tariffs will have a significant impact on the European economy, according to 60-76% of the surveyed countries.

On trade with the US up to now, around 40-67% of Europeans said they think the EU was fair to the US, despite claims by Trump of “unfair” policies.

The US has announced a 25% hike in tariffs on steel, aluminum, cars, and car parts, with further duties expected on semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and timber.

Trump has threatened to introduce broad tariffs on a wide range of global goods on Wednesday.