The end of the story is predictable : Donald Trump will impose additional duties on imports of automobiles. It is in any case the opinion of Adam Posen, president of the think tank the Peterson Institute in Washington : “It is a mock trial. They have decided in advance the verdict and the time when it would be made. “A kind of resignation that reign in Washington, while open to the Department of commerce a two-day hearing, Thursday 19 and Friday 20 July, regarding the need for taxing this sector.
Donald Trump launched the process in may, arguing a possible infringement of the american national security. This argument, which is used to charge the steel and aluminum, is considered to be very relevant when we know that 56 % of the 17.2 million vehicles sold in the United States are the products on its own soil.
The real debate is elsewhere. Donald Trump had said prior to his inauguration in the German daily, Bild Zeitung, and was repeated at the g-7 meeting in June, at Quebec : he sees too many Mercedes on the streets of New York and not enough Cadillac in Berlin. And critical Europeans to tax their imports at a rate of 10 %, where the Americans do not take as a right of 2.5 %. Regardless of that, as has been pointed out by the first british minister Theresa May, this situation can be explained, perhaps, by the choice of the consumer or the fact that the German cars and japanese are often produced on american soil.
“A huge penalty ”
Mr. Trump reiterated his threat Wednesday, July 18, while the president of the european Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, the will meet in Washington on July 25. “If we do not trade something fair, we have a huge punishment, that we do not want to use. But we have enormous powers “, he threatened. “Including cars. The cars, that’s the biggest piece. “
To temper Mr. Trump, the media…
