Slapping import tariffs on European Aluminium to travel restrictions to the US from Europe: EU hit out at Donald Trump’s unilateral decision

Donald Trump has slapped tariffs on aluminium imports from Europe and threatened broader trade action, notably against European carmakers. This was his outcome if the US cannot strike a fair deal.

The European Union hits out at President Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to restrict travel from Europe to the United States due to the coronavirus epidemic.

An official of the EU said: “the illness does not respect borders”.

American President Donald Trump has called the disease a foreign virus and claimed that US clusters were seeded by European travellers.

The President stated that all European travel would be cut off, but US officials later said restrictions would apply only to most foreign citizens who have been in Europe’s passport-free travel zone at any point for 14 days before their arrival to the United States.

European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement: “The European Union disapproves of the fact that the US decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.”

The two also added: “The coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent and it requires co-operation rather than unilateral action”.

They rejected Mr Trump’s suggestion that Europe is not doing enough to combat Covid-19, saying that the 27-nation bloc “is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus”.

The Schengen area comprises 26 countries, including EU members France, Italy, German, Greece, Austria and Belgium, where the bloc has its headquarters, but also others such as Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.

The restrictions announced by Mr Trump do not apply to the United Kingdom, where the number of confirmed cases has reached 460, or Ireland, which is not part of Schengen.