BRUSSELS — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump issued a fresh threat of a trade war to the European Union on Friday, urging it to purchase more American oil and gas or face a barrage of tariffs.
“I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large scale purchase of our oil and gas,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way!!!
It was not immediately clear which EU official Trump had “told” this to, if anyone.
European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill did not provide clarity on who was involved in the conversation Trump alluded to, but said: “The EU and US have deeply integrated economies, with overall balanced trade and investment. We are ready to discuss with President-elect Trump how we can further strengthen an already strong relationship, including by discussing our common interests in the energy sector.”
