Tariffs ‘wrong,’ Italy’s prime minister says, with food and drink industry set to suffer

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the 20% tariff imposed on the European Union by the White House was “wrong” but said the bloc should try to avert a trade war.

“The tariffs are wrong and not in the interest of either party,” Meloni said, Dow Jones reported Thursday. “We will do everything we can to work on an agreement with the U.S., with the aim of averting a trade war that would inevitably weaken the West in favor of other global players,” the premier reportedly added.

On Wednesday, she told business leaders involved in Italy’s food and drinks industry that the EU may need to adopt “appropriate responses” to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs while stressing that a trade war should be avoided, if possible.

The EU should “work in every possible way to avert a trade war, which would not benefit anyone, neither the United States nor Europe,” she said, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

“This obviously does not rule out having to contemplate appropriate responses to defend our production, if necessary,” she noted.

The prime minister warned that Italian food and drink exports could be hit hard by tariffs, noting that “Italian agri-food products are in demand all over the world, starting of course with Europe.”

“It must be remembered that the United States is the second-largest destination market, with exports rising by 17% in 2024. The U.S. market is fundamental for us.”

The U.S. has a right to act — so do we, British prime minister says

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told business leaders in Downing Street on Thursday that while President Donald Trump had a “mandate” and right to act in the interests of his country, the U.K. had a right to respond.

Still, he called for “cool heads” as he said that Britain would “move now to the next phase of our plan.”

“Decisions we take in the coming days and weeks, will be guided only by our national interest. In the interest of our economy. In the interests of the businesses around this table,” he said at a meeting in his official office in No. 10 Downing Street, London.

“Clearly, there will be an economic impact from the decisions the U.S. has taken both here and globally.  But I want to be crystal clear - we are prepared,” he said.

The U.K. has “a fair and balanced trade relationship with the U.S.” he noted after the White House imposed a baseline 10% duty on U.K. imports to the United States, reflecting the trading status of the relationship.

Starmer said talks on an “economic prosperity deal” would continue but said he would only strike a deal if it is in the national interest.

“Our intention remains to secure a deal but nothing is off the table” he remarked, saying Britain had “a range of levers at our disposal,” without going in to further detail.