Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg’s daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union.
EU leaders are scrambling to avoid a trade war with the US, following Donald Trump’s threats to hit the bloc with tariffs. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said yesterday that the 27-member bloc should “do everything to avoid” what would be a “totally unnecessary and stupid” commercial conflict. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz added that Europe has the capacity to react if Trump follows through. The comments come ahead of a meeting in Warsaw today of EU trade ministers, who will attempt to strike a unified position on bloc’s response to the risks posed by the new administration in Washington — which may also lead to challenges for Americans. Meanwhile, Trump’s comments that the UK might be spared highlights how Brexit could finally bring some benefits, even if it remains at the mercy of a “special relationship” that has been one-sided for decades.
— Jorge Valero and Samuel Stolton
