Italy’s prime minister criticizes US over its new tariff policy

ISTANBUL

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the US on Wednesday for imposing tariffs on the European Union, calling it a “wrong measure."

Her remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced 20% tariffs on goods from the European Union late Wednesday as part of his long-promised vow to impose reciprocal tariffs on nations worldwide.

"I consider the US imposing customs tariffs on the EU to be a wrong measure, and it is not in the interest of either party," Meloni said in a post on Facebook.

"We will do everything we can to reach an agreement with the US because we believe such a trade war would inevitably weaken the West and benefit other global players. In any case, as always, we will act in consultation with our European partners, protecting Italy’s and the economy's interests," Meloni said, highlighting the risk of trade wars.

Emphasizing the need to avoid a customs tariff war with the US, Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani said the newly introduced tariffs would cause harm to people in the US and Europe.

"We are already working with our EU and European partners to assess the situation and develop a joint response. A pragmatic response based on dialogue is necessary," he added.

"There is a need for solid and constructive negotiations that take into account the concerns of the US while safeguarding Europe's legitimate interests. Our government will not leave Italy's production system vulnerable and will work to diversify the markets for our products in line with our export action plan," he added.