(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered sweeping tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China, demanding that they curb the flow of illegal immigrants and fentanyl into the United States, kicking off a trade war that could dent global growth and stoke inflation.
Here are some responses to the tariffs out of Europe:
BRITAIN
Britain has a “fair and balanced” trading relationship with the United States, a government spokesperson said on Monday, after President Donald Trump hinted tariffs could be “worked out” between the two countries.
“The U.S. is an indispensable ally and one of our closest trading partners, and we have a fair and balanced trading relationship which benefits both sides of the Atlantic,” the spokesperson said.
FRENCH CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR VILLEROY
Trade tariffs imposed by Trump “will increase economic uncertainty,” French central bank governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau told France Info, adding this was a worrying development.
Villeroy, who is also a European Central Bank policymaker, said Trump’s tariffs were “very brutal” and would hit the autos sector especially.
On possible retaliatory measures, Villeroy said such a response should not be excluded but he urged caution.
“The key is to make our economy stronger,” he said.
(Editing by Bernadette Baum)
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