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EU vows ‘swift’ riposte to threatened US auto tariffs

Brussels (AFP) - The EU promised a quick and effective response if the United States imposes import duties on European autos, a spokesman for the European Commission said on Monday.

Brussels issued the threat after the US Commerce Department fi led a report that empowers President Donald Trump to apply car duties within the next 90 days.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has labelled as “frightening” the prospect that this report could label European car imports as a national security threat to the United States, enabling the tariffs.

The White House has already used the national security argument,saying that undermining the American manufacturing base impairs military readiness, among other claims, to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

“Were this report translated into action detrimental to European exports, the European Commission would react in a swift and adequate manner,” EU spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a news brie fi ng in Brussels.

The protectionist Trump has threatened 25 percent duties on European autos, especially targeting Germany, which he says has harmed the American car industry.

歐盟快速回應美國汽車關稅威脅

布魯塞爾（法新社）——歐盟委員會發言人周一表示，如果美國對歐洲汽車征收進口關稅，歐盟承諾會做出迅速并且有效的回應。

在美國商務部通過文件授權特朗普總統在未來90天內征收汽車關稅之后，布魯塞爾發出了警告。

德國總理安格拉·默克爾稱，該報告可能將歐洲汽車進口視為對美國國家安全的一種威脅，從而實現關稅，這讓人感到“恐懼”。

白宮已經借用國家安全的論點表示，正在逐年減弱的美國制造業的基礎會削弱國家軍事能力，包括其他索賠，從而需要大幅增加對鋼鐵和鋁的進口關稅。

歐盟發言人在布魯塞爾舉行的新聞發布會上表示“這份文字報告是否會轉化成對歐洲出口產品的實際行動，歐盟委員會將會迅速地并以合適的方式做出回應”。

保護主義者特朗普威脅要增加25%的關稅到歐洲的汽車業，特別是對傷害到美國汽車工業的德國。