In an interview with Danish newspaper Politiken, Christian Dustmann discussed the potential consequences of trade tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump. The article, published online under the title “Økonom kommer med et budskab efter Trump-trusler: Tør øjnene og stop klynkeriet” (Economist delivers a message after Trump threats: Dry your eyes and stop whining), and in print as “Økonom: Stop klynkeriet over Trump – et samlet Europa er stærkere end USA” (Economist: Stop whining about Trump – a united Europe is stronger than the USA), examines how Europe can counterbalance U.S. economic pressure.
Recent weeks have seen significant concern across Europe regarding the possibility of new U.S. tariffs on European goods, particularly for countries like Denmark and Germany, where the U.S. is a key export market. Dustmann acknowledges the risks but warns against panic, emphasizing that Europe has the power to impose countermeasures that would impact American industries and consumers. He also highlights the U.S.’s trade deficit and the European preference for high-quality goods, such as German cars, as key factors in the economic balance.
Dustmann further stresses that the biggest uncertainty for Europe remains the situation in Ukraine, but he also cautions that the past few weeks have underscored the need for Europe to take responsibility for its own security rather than relying on the U.S. as a stable geopolitical partner.
The full article is available on Politiken’s website: Read here.
