Trump urges EU to impose 100% tariffs on China and India | REUTERS

President Donald Trump has reportedly urged European Union officials to impose substantial tariffs, potentially up to 100%, on China and India. This aggressive stance is part of a strategy aimed at pressuring Russia by targeting key buyers of its oil, thereby impacting Russia's economy amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The request was conveyed during a conference call with EU sanctions envoy David O. Sullivan.

The US has indicated willingness to implement similar tariffs if the EU agrees to Washington's proposal. Trump has a history of threatening tariffs on China and India for their Russian crude purchases, and had previously increased tariffs on India, citing economic ties with the Kremlin. Despite these threats, more severe measures have not yet been enacted.

Meanwhile, the EU is engaged in discussions with Washington regarding sanctions coordination, with the EU delegation currently in the US capital. While the EU claims commitment to ending its dependency on Russian energy, it still imports a significant portion of its gas from Russia, amounting to just under a fifth of its total imports last year.

• Donald Trump is urging the EU to impose tariffs of up to 100% on China.
• The strategy is aimed at pressuring Russia's economy by targeting major buyers of Russian oil, including China and India.
• Trump also encouraged the EU to place similar large tariffs on India.
• The EU delegation is in Washington discussing sanctions coordination.
• Last year, Russia supplied just under a fifth of the EU's gas imports, though the EU states it is committed to ending this dependency.

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Trump Urges EU Tariffs on China [00:02]

• US President Donald Trump has called on EU officials to impose tariffs of up to 100% on China.
• This suggestion was reportedly made via a conference call to EU sanctions envoy David O. Sullivan and other officials.

This section details President Trump's direct request to the European Union to levy significant tariffs on Chinese goods, framing it as a strategic move.

US President Donald Trump urged EU officials to hit China with tariffs of up to 100% on Tuesday.

Tariffs as a Strategy Against Russia [00:15]

• The primary goal of these proposed tariffs is to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• The strategy targets major buyers of Russian oil, which is crucial for Russia's economy amid the invasion of Ukraine.
• Trump also encouraged the EU to impose similarly large tariffs on India.

This part explains the underlying geopolitical motivation for Trump's tariff proposal, linking it directly to actions being taken against Russia's economy.

• Both China and India are major buyers of Russian oil.
• This oil revenue plays a key role in keeping Russia's economy functioning as it continues its invasion of Ukraine.

EU and US Sanctions Coordination [00:43]

• An EU delegation is currently in Washington to discuss sanctions coordination.
• The US has indicated a willingness to impose similar tariffs if the EU block complies with Washington's request.

This section highlights the diplomatic engagement between the EU and the US on the topic of sanctions, and the US's conditional support for EU actions.

• The EU diplomat said the US indicated it was willing to impose similar tariffs if the block followed Washington's request.

Trump's Past Actions and EU's Energy Dependency [00:55]

• Trump has previously threatened tariffs on India and China for purchasing Russian crude oil.
• He had already increased tariffs on India over the summer by 25 percentage points, partly due to economic ties with the Kremlin.
• However, more severe punitive options he has floated have not yet been implemented.
• Trump has expressed frustration that Europe has not fully decoupled from Russia.
• Last year, Moscow supplied just under a fifth of the EU's gas imports.
• The EU states its commitment to fully ending its dependency on Russian energy.

This final section provides context on Trump's past actions and statements regarding tariffs on Russia-aligned countries, and addresses the EU's ongoing reliance on Russian energy.

Trump has often threatened to impose tariffs on India and China as punishment for buying Russian crude. Moscow supplied just under a fifth of EU gas imports last year.