LJUBLJANA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The American Chamber of Commerce in Slovenia (AmCham) has expressed regret about the U.S. administration's plans to impose punitive tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, warning it could prompt retaliatory measures from the EU.
Citing that "U.S. companies employ more than 4.7 million workers in Europe," AmCham Slovenia says the unilateral decisions will harm "cross-atlantic economic and political links, which could jeopardise jobs, investment and security on both sides of the Atlantic."
According to a news report by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) on Monday, the chamber also warns of retaliatory measures from the EU prompted by the U.S. tariffs move.
While sharing the U.S. administration's concern about global steel and aluminium surplus capacities as a potential threat to jobs in the EU and in the U.S., the chamber's Director General Ajsa Vodnik said it was important that the U.S. and the EU "find a joint response and address the challenges together".
"The global steel and aluminium overcapacity calls for a coordinated response from the EU and U.S. Unilateral U.S. government actions would fail to address this issue and instead risk harming America's relationship with Europe, its staunchest ally," AmCham EU director general Susan Danger was quoted by the STA as saying.
The comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was planning to levy penalties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium imports as of this week.
Europe as well as Canada, Brazil, Mexico and China have announced counter-measures, fuelling expectations about a global trade war. Slovenian steel and aluminium manufacturers are moderately concerned, said STA.