Swedish prime minister criticizes Trumps tariff proposal right in front of him
During a joint news conference with President Trump on Tuesday, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven criticized the U.S. president’s recent proposal to slap a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum, saying that they would hurt everyone “in the long run.”
“Sweden and the United States are two of the most innovative economies in the world and we see great opportunities ahead,” Lofven said. “Swedish prosperity is built on cooperation, competitiveness, and free trade. And I’m convinced that increased tariffs will hurt us all in the long run.”
Referring to threats from the European Union, which has promised to impose a punitive 25 percent tariff on U.S.-made goods like bourbon whiskey, blue jeans, and Harley Davidson motorcycles, Lofven added, “As a Swede, I of course support the efforts of the European Union to achieve trade with fewer obstacles, as few as possible.”
After Trump defended his tariff proposal as necessary, Lofven doubled down.
“As a member of the European Union, I think it’s important for us to try to find a way to cooperate between the European Union and the United States,” he said. “I fully understand and respect the president’s view that they have to look after his own country…. That’s my primary task as well. But for me, leading a small country, depending on open trade, the best way for us is to do that with others. Because our [exports are] 50 percent of our GDP. So for us, it is crucially important that we have this open and free trade.”
https://thinkprogress.org/swedish-pm-trump-tariffs-74724380f39a/
Trump smells like lutefisk.
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