Meloni Urges Calm After U.S. Tariffs on EU Products: “This Is Not a Catastrophe”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called for calm following the United States’ decision to impose new tariffs on products from the European Union. Speaking on Thursday, Meloni described the move as a “wrong choice” but insisted it was “not a catastrophe,” urging efforts to avoid alarmism and focus on dialogue with Washington.
“I believe the decision by the United States is a mistaken one. I don’t think it benefits either the European or the American economy,” Meloni said in an interview with Italian broadcaster TG1. “But I also think we shouldn’t fuel the kind of alarmism I’m hearing at the moment.”
She acknowledged the importance of the U.S. market for Italian exports, which make up around ten percent of Italy’s total exports. “We won’t stop exporting to the U.S. Obviously, this poses a new challenge we’ll need to address, but it’s not the disaster some are making it out to be,” she added.
Meloni also said she would present proposals at the European level, noting that they “might not fully align with those of our partners,” but emphasized the responsibility to act. Domestically, she announced that the government would conduct an impact study on each affected sector and will meet next week with industry representatives.
The comments come after former U.S. President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new 10 percent universal tariff on all imports, along with additional country- and sector-specific duties — including a 20 percent rate for the EU. The move is part of Trump’s broader protectionist strategy, aimed at countering what he describes as unfair trade barriers against American products.
