President Trump said he’s “not happy” with the European Union, saying it treats American companies unfairly.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office with the Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, the president said, “We have a problem with the European Union.”
“They don’t take our farm products, they don’t take our cars,” he said. “We take millions of cars, BMWs, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagens, and we take millions of cars.”
He talked about the trade dispute between the EU and Apple, in which the union says the tech company owes billions of dollars after receiving “illegal tax benefits” from Ireland.
“I’m not happy with the European Union, I want to tell you,” Mr. Trump said. “And we’re going to win that financial battle.”
In response to Mr. Trump’s new tariffs on aluminum and steel, the EU said it will raise tariffs on U.S. beef, poultry, bourbon, motorcycles and other products.
Mr. Trump said he would be open to putting tariffs on European cars.
“Things are going to change unless they do what they have to do,” he said. “And they know what they have to do. This is not going to be a tough battle.”
He stressed that he loves Ireland, and talked about his Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg.
Mr. Martin said Mr. Trump is the only president who has “physically invested in Ireland.”
