The reactions to Trump’s introduction of tariffs are causing violent reactions, both in Brussels and in Oslo.
But the hypocrisy is so obvious that you almost find it unnecessary to write about it. After a few requests from readers, I decided to post a little commentary anyway.
Norway has massive tariffs on all agricultural products. In fact, it was forbidden to import unpasteurised cheese until after the turn of the millennium.
So it wasn’t allowed to import delicacies such as Brie de Meaux, Roquefort and Parmigiano Reggiano until I was over 30. This wasn’t a problem for me personally, as my father was an aviator and always bought my favourite cheeses on his trips abroad.
For years, the EU has had higher tariffs on US cars than the other way round. But then tariffs were just fine.
Now, Norwegian politicians are desperately saying that we need to get closer to the EU to avoid being caught in the middle of a potential tariff war between the EU and the US.
This is quite revealing: Why should the EU impose tariffs on an EEA country because they are in a conflict with the US? Barth Eide and co. could hardly be clearer that the EU is absolutely not to be trusted.
Moreover: Does anyone really believe that the EU will say no to Norwegian gas and electricity via the cables?
In 2023, the EU introduced the world’s first climate tariff. Documents Kent Andersen wrote about it.
The principle behind the new climate tariff is that countries with lower emission reduction targets than the EU (which applies to most continents) will have to pay extra taxes and customs duties on the sale of their goods to the EU.
The tariffs are intended to prevent what is known as “carbon leakage”, i.e. European industry moving to countries without climate-hysterical politicians and increasing climate taxes, making production and transport cheaper than in the EU.
EU introduces world’s first «climate tariff», but CO2 emissions continue to rise
Where were the hysterical reactions back then? Introducing tariffs to pretend you’re «saving the climate» is perfectly fine. Nobody reacted to the fact that the measures had zero effect either, apart from a few select free media outlets.
But imposing tariffs on countries that send millions of migrants across the border, some of whom bring drugs such as fentanyl, which has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, that’s some kind of crisis and «trade war?»
It didn’t take 24 hours for both Canada and Mexico to back down and send troops to the border. The «trade war» died before it had even started. China, however, is a different story.
The EU has developed a «bazooka» against Trump tariffs.
Among other things, the EU will be able to hit US companies with a new tool, called the «bazooka», writes Financial Times on Wednesday.
This is enshrined in a regulation adopted by EU member states in November 2023 on the «Protection of the Union and its Member States against economic coercion from third countries».
The US is doing just fine without the paper tiger EU. But how will the EU manage without the US?
Who will defend the European continent? A few functioning German tanks? Millions of Muslim fifth columnists? The woke defence of Norway and Sweden, led by heroic gender advisors?
Brussels seems terrified after Trump took the White House. While the EU is used to taking years to pass one idiotic directive or another, usually to the great detriment of both household and business economies, Trump has revolutionised American politics in just over two weeks.
The mass invasion of illegal migrants has largely come to a halt. Deportations are already underway, with Trump’s very capable border czar Tom Homan on the front line.
Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelenskyj opens up for peace talks. Trump has come up with a wild plan to solve the Gaza problem, and useless European politicians lie shocked in the foetal position.
Nations and unions that themselves use tariffs as a weapon cannot tolerate Trump reacting in the same way. The EU will now win the economic war by investing even more in the green shift.
It would be funny, if it weren’t so tragic. Tariffs won’t be a problem if the European car industry has to shut down because of climate hysteria and red tape. Europe will soon have no exports that can be cleared through customs.
You almost have to be blind not to see that the EU is a sinking ship. All statistical figures show this. Since 2000, the US economy has grown 50 per cent faster than the EU economy.
This is perhaps the explanation for why brilliant Norwegian politicians, particularly in the Labour and Conservative parties, can’t get on board the Titanic fast enough. Then they can blame the «captain», Ursula von der Leyen, for Norway’s downfall.
Norway could easily have joined forces with the US and told the EU that if you impose extra tariffs on Norwegian goods, we will close the energy taps. But unfortunately, Norwegian politicians are not Donald J. Trump.
