House Republican: Trump is 'right over the target' with EU wine tariff threat

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) applauded President Trump’s threat to put a 200 percent tariff on wine, Champagne and other alcohol imported from the European Union (EU) if the bloc does not remove a tariff on U.S. whiskey.

“I think the president's right over the target. People in Ohio love Donald Trump, and his message is perfectly crafted for our state,” Davidson said during a Thursday appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill.”

“You know, I was in manufacturing before I was in Congress, and we don't have a level playing field in manufacturing, and not just with China, with lots of other countries too. Donald Trump is taking that on and saying, ‘if you want to tariff us, we're going to tariff you,’” he continued.

Davidson's home state produces more than a million gallons of wine a year, and could reap the benefits of the tariffs.

“While America might import more French wine than France imports American wine, or certainly more than import Ohio wine, they import a lot of bourbon, and they import a lot of other things from the United States,” the Ohio lawmaker said of Trump’s plans.

“So I think the message is clear, come negotiate with us, treat us fairly, and then help us deal with China,” he added.

Trump's trade war with Europe escalated Wednesday when his 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum took effect. In response, the EU retaliated with a two-step approach, allowing the suspension of the existing 2018 and 2020 countermeasures against the U.S. to expire April 1 and proposing a new package of countermeasures on goods coming from the U.S. that will go into effect in mid-April, covering some $28 billion in imports in total.

Trump also added an additional 10 percent on imports from China this month which the country’s leaders retaliated against through 15 percent tariffs on imports of chicken, wheat, corn and cotton from the U.S., as well as 10 percent tariffs on imports of sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafoods, fruits vegetables and dairy products.

China’s Commerce Ministry spokesperson has described Trump’s actions as “blackmail” and has said it would file a legal case against the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Canada has filed two complaints with the WTO, the latest one was submitted on Thursday which included allegations that the U.S. violated its obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994.

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