Trade is a top issue in the transatlantic relationship. Since he took office, President Trump has been focused on the U.S. trade deficit and economic competition with Europe, with China, and with most of rest of the world. He imposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, prompting a backlash from the European Union, which imposed its own retaliatory measures on U.S. imports. But this was not the end of it and Trump later threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on automobiles imported from Europe. Where do we stand now? How serious is the danger of trade war?  Trump and EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker seemed to reach a truce in their July 25 meeting at the White House. How durable will that truce be? How serious is the threat of a new escalation in this trade war? And what would be its consequences?
In this inaugural episode of The Zeitgeist, Jeff Rathke discusses transatlantic trade in the Trump era with Peter Rashish.

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Host
Jeff Rathke, President, AICGS
Guest
Peter Rashish, Senior Fellow and Director of the Geoeconomics Program, AICGS