EU trade chief blasts Trump auto tariffs as proof of U.S. unreliability

The European Union's top trade legislator condemned President Donald Trump's decision to raise tariffs on EU automobiles Friday, calling it the latest proof that Washington has become an unreliable partner in transatlantic trade.

The escalation threatens to shred a framework trade deal struck in Scotland in 2025, under which the EU accepted a 15 percent baseline tariff on most of its exports to the United States. For Korean-American importers and OC businesses with European supply-chain ties, further tariff hikes risk pushing up costs across a wide range of goods.

Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's international trade committee, issued a sharply worded statement Friday after Trump unveiled the new automobile tariff plan, saying the decision exposed a troubling pattern in U.S. trade conduct.

"This latest move demonstrates just how unreliable the U.S. side is," Lange said, as reported by The Korea Times. "This is no way to treat close partners. Now we can only respond with the utmost clarity and firmness, drawing on the strength of our position."

The Korea Times reported that the criticism centers on a 2025 framework agreement, reached in Scotland, under which the EU accepted a 15 percent import tariff covering most goods exported to the United States — a concession EU officials viewed as a good-faith compromise.

Despite that deal, The Korea Times reported, the United States has since imposed separate tariffs on more than 400 products containing steel and aluminum, at an average rate of 26 percent — nearly double the 15 percent benchmark the two sides had negotiated.

Lange left no ambiguity about Brussels' assessment of those measures. "This is unacceptable," he said, according to The Korea Times, pledging a firm EU response.

The auto tariff announcement adds to a widening rift between Washington and Brussels. With Lange warning that the EU will respond with "the utmost clarity and firmness," the two sides appear headed toward a sharper confrontation over trade rules both had pledged to honor.