Laima Andrikienė Kalba debatuose dėl JAV tarifų plieno ir aliuminio sektoriui ir ES atsako
EP plenarinė sesija
Strasbūras
2018 05 29
Commissioner, Colleagues,
the United States is without any doubt our most important strategic partner. Together, we foster our strategic interest in mutual prosperity and security, but the international system is undergoing a transition period and everyone faces challenges. Even with the frozen TTIP negotiations, we have to use the momentum to harness globalisation together and to continue working together to fight excessive capacities in key sectors and tackle trade issues of mutual interest. Instead of acting against each other, we should search for solutions together.
Therefore I consider imposing import tariffs on EU steel and aluminium as an inappropriate redress to cover the actual problems of over-capacity. Steel and aluminium imports from the EU should be permanently exempted from tariffs.
US threats of punitive tariffs are jeopardising the transatlantic relations and the global trade and investment system under WTO rules. I strongly support the Commission in its engagement with the United States in order to avoid a trade war and to improve our trade relations. We all have to obey the rules and keep to the standards, otherwise we only produce chaos, and nobody can foresee which consequences this will have for the world.