Her photograph among world leaders at the Group of Seven Summit in Canada was all over the news and the Internet for three days. But beyond this historic picture lays a new battle for the E.U. against Trump’s America. Yesterday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stroke back: Europe will implement counter-measures against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum. Just like Trudeau’s Canada.
“The withdrawal, so to speak, via tweet is of course … sobering and a bit depressing,” Merkel said on Sunday evening live on German ARD television. After leaving the G7 summit, Trump announced on Twitter that the U.S. were backing out of the joint communique. Throwing away what appeared like a fragile consensus on a trade dispute between Washington and its main allies. E.U. and Canada now prepare counter-measures against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, according to Word Trade Organisation policy. “So we won’t let ourselves be ripped off again and again. Instead, we act then too,” Merkel repeated in a firm and coherent manner.
“The summit did not mark the end of the transatlantic partnership between Europe and the U.S.,” Merkel said. But the European leader repeated that the Old continent would no longer rely on its North-American ally and should look for new partnerships. Yesterday night, Angela Merkel took on the role of a fierce opponent of Trump’s policy.
The actual crisis should not impact Lebanese construction industry as Lebanon mainly imports iron and steel materials from China, Russia and Turkey.
