The goods Sweden wants to exclude in Trump’s customs war
Next week, US President Donald Trump will be 25 percent customs duties on all vehicles manufactured outside the United States, and soon the same is waiting for vehicle components.
How the EU will respond to it, and how it affects the Swedish economy in the long run, is unclear. In any case, Sweden has sent a list to the European Commission on goods that it wants to be exempted in any countermeasures against the United States.
– The countermeasures that the EU is now forced to respond with, where we have wanted to safeguard Swedish jobs and the Swedish economy, of course, and wanted to make as minimal impact on Swedish industry as possible, says Benjamin Dousa.
The European Commission has sent out a gross list of products that may be covered by customs duties on the part of the EU. Based on this, there have been a conversation with the business community and the expert authority Kommersollegium to call in so -called input goods that are important for Swedish industry.
It is about, among other things, Kaolin – a clay mineral used in, for example, pulp production, cosmetics and drugs. But also a specific type of oak, soda and sulfate pulp and some plastic items.
– About seven percent of our imports from the United States are covered by this gross list that has been presented. And of the seven percentage points, three percentage points are inputs that are important to our industry, says Benjamin Dousa.
He points out that The EU so far has neither introduced nor raised a single duty. But if the EU is forced to respond with tariffs to US goods and products – yes, then it should be on those that are interchangeable, emphasize Benjamin Dousa, and exemplifies with juice and jeans.
Next week, however, things can be put at their forefront.
– Trump has said that April 2 is what you call « Liberation Day », but which I would rather call « Inflation Day », where further customs may come to the EU.
