Rabat – US President Donald Trump has announced plans to sharply raise tariffs on the European Union and tech giant Apple.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he is recommending a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union starting June 1. He expressed frustration with ongoing trade talks, calling them unproductive and claiming the EU was “formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on trade.”
If imposed, the new tariffs would increase current US import duties on EU products from 10% to 50%. This would likely affect a wide range of goods and strain relations with America’s largest trading partner.
Trump also targeted Apple, saying the company had ignored his calls to move iPhone production to the United States. He warned of a new 25% tariff on Apple products if the company does not begin producing in the US.
Trump has recently introduced new tariffs on goods from several countries, including the EU. While he briefly paused some of those measures to allow time for negotiations, talks with the EU have seen little progress. The EU has responded by threatening tariffs on nearly 100 billion euros (about $113 billion) worth of US goods.
Read also: Global Backlash Erupts Over Trump’s Trade Tariffs
An EU spokesperson declined to comment on Trump’s latest threat but confirmed to AFP that EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic would speak with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer later in the day.
Trump’s push for Apple to make iPhones in the US is also facing criticism. Apple currently assembles most iPhones in China and has started moving some operations to India. Experts say shifting production to the US is not realistic.
It would take up to 10 years and cause iPhone prices to skyrocket, said Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities. He estimated that a US-made iPhone could cost as much as $3,500.
Experts have also warned that labor costs alone would raise the price of an iPhone by about 25%. If tariffs were added for importing parts, total costs could rise by more than 90%.
