James Paul 
“We have made a decision and we will announce it very soon. It will be 25 % in general, and it will concern cars and everything else. »» Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, February 26 on the sidelines of the first council of ministers on Wednesday, February 26 that the United States will impose exorbitant customs duties on imports from the European Union.
Will everyone be a loser?
As rightly explains The Financial Times, The comments of the American president suggest a major transatlantic trade war where the two economies would be affected, without anyone being a winner.
But the Republican does not bother, and he embarked on a rant against the old continent: “They really took advantage of us. They do not accept our cars. They do not accept most of our agricultural products, they use all kinds of reasons not to do so. Let’s be honest, the European Union was created for Entub. The United States. This is his goal. And they did a good job. »»
The purposes of European Construction History have clearly had to start when he heard his words. In the meantime, the commission has already replied yesterday that it would react “Firmly and immediately” to new customs taxes: “The EU will always protect European companies, workers and consumers against unjustified customs duties”.
The European executive calls for “Work together to preserve these opportunities for our citizens and businesses. Not against each other ”. Donald Trump pretends not to believe it and anticipation Already :
They wouldn’t do it. They can try to do so, but the effects will never be the same, because we can leave. We are the corne of abundance, what everyone wants and they can try reprisals, but it will not work. It is enough that we no longer buy anything, and if that’s what happens, we win.
How could the EU ride?
While waiting for hostilities to be launched, the French economist Gabriel Zucman Make an iconoclastic proposal. He explained: “There is only one good answer to these absurd and blind customs rights: customs duties for oligarchs! If Tesla wants to continue to have access to the EU market, Musk should pay taxes in the EU. »»
In a column published by the British newspaper The Guardianhe developed his proposal by taking the example of Tesla and Elon Musk:
Imagine that she (Tesla note) does not pay corporate tax or carbon tax in the United States, but that it achieves 5 % of its turnover in Great Britain. The British Treasury would calculate what Tesla should have paid in the United States if British tax legislation applied to it and receive 5 % of this amount. Likewise, Great Britain would intervene to tax Elon Musk in proportion to the amount of its fortune from the United Kingdom (which, since its fortune is mainly made up of Tesla shares, can be estimated at around 5 %).
A method that would also be adapted to the EU: “Within Europe, it would not even be necessary for all governments to agree. A single country could condition access to its market to compliance with minimum tax standards, as is already the case in other areas, such as food security. Foreign multinationals, and billionaires who have them should not have access to the British market if they do not pay any tax. »»
To find out more about this proposal, which could also make it possible to better combat tax optimization, you can Read his article here.
