CLOSE President Donald Trump said trade wars were "good," expressing defiance amid global criticism of his plan to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Newslook 
 
 President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump. (Photo: Chuck Burton, AP) 
 
 In the first rumblings of a potential trade war, President Trump punched back Saturday at Canadian and European warnings that his steel tariff plan is "unacceptable" by threatening to slap a tariff on European cars if they try to take him on. 
 
 The latest volley out of Mar-a-Lago came two days after Trump first announced plans to impose a U.S. tariff of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminum. 
 
 That, in turn, was met by a sharp rejection from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who called the tariffs "absolutely unacceptable" and said they would cause serious disruption of markets on both sides of the border. 
 
 If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2018 
 
 His foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, warns that Canada is prepared to "take responsive measures to defend its trade interests and workers," Reuters reports. 
 
 European leaders also weighed in. Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, told the German media that the EU would respond with tariffs on such U.S. products as Harley-Davidsons, Kentucky bourbon and bluejeans. 
 
 “None of this is reasonable, but reason is a sentiment that is very unevenly distributed in this world,” Juncker said. 
 
 From his weekend perch, Trump made it clear that such talk would only stoke American resolve. 
 
 "If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S.," he tweeted. "They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!" 
 
 The tweet underscored his observation on Friday that when the U.S.is losing "many billions" on trade with virtually every trading partner "trade wars are good and easy to win." 
 
 Dieter Kempf, head of the Federation of German Industries, warns that Trump was risking a “spiral of protectionism” that in the end would cost American jobs, as well as those in Germany and the rest of Europe, The New York Times reported. 
 
 For now, Canada was feeling the most acute pressure as the top supplier to the United States of both steel and aluminum, exporting nearly 90% of its steel to the U.S. 
 
 "Any disruption to this integrated market would be significant and serious, Trudeau said. 
 
 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stands during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 28, 2018. (Photo: Sean Kilpatrick, AP) 
 
 These proposals, he added, "are going to hurt them every bit as much as they are going to hurt us, and we are confident we're going to continue to be able to defend Canadian industry." 
 
 While Trump has routinely singled out China for its steel and aluminum exports to the U.S., the president, in his off-the-cuff remarks on Thursday, did not say specifically whether Canada and/or Mexico would be subject to the new measures. 
 
 If he aims only at China, however, he would hit a mighty small target since China accounts for only 2.9% of U.S. steel imports. 
 
 Canada, on the other hand, is the biggest supplier, accounting for 16% of U.S. steel imports, or $4.3 billion in 2017, followed by South Korea, Mexico, Brazil and China, according to data compiled by Wood Mackenzie. 
 
 The Wall Street Journal, quoting an unidentified senior White House official, reports that Trump plans to apply his tariffs globally and won't exempt allies such as Canada and Europe. 
 
 That is hardly surprising, given Trump's ire in the past over Canada's export policies. 
 
 Last year, in a flareup over milk pricing and softwood lumber, the president took a swipe at the neighbors to the north, warning people not to be fooled by Canadians' friendly demeanor, the The Globe and Mail reported. 
 
 "Canada's been very rough on the United States. Everyone thinks of Canada as being wonderful, and so do I, I love Canada," he said. "But they've outsmarted our politicians for many years." 
 
 
 
 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2HXKIHg ||||| The European Union on Friday will slap billions in additional tariffs on U.S. exports in reaction to President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump: Dems playing destructive 'con game' with Kavanaugh Several Yale Law classmates who backed Kavanaugh call for misconduct investigation Freedom Caucus calls on Rosenstein to testify or resign MORE's steel and aluminum tariffs. 
 
 The EU said on Wednesday that it will impose a 25 percent tariff on $3.2 billion in American goods ranging from Harley-Davidson motorcycles to jeans and bourbon, the European Commission in Brussels announced. 
 
 "We did not want to be in this position," EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström said in a statement. 
 
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 "However, the unilateral and unjustified decision of the U.S. to impose steel and aluminum tariffs on the EU means that we are left with no other choice," Malmström said. 
 
 She said that the response is proportionate and in line with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and that if the U.S. drops the metals tariffs the EU will follow suit. 
 
 The EU also launched legal proceedings against the U.S. at the WTO on June 1. 
 
 The EU's tit-for-tat tariffs will hit about 200 U.S. products that include steel, aluminum, corn, rice, orange juice, cigarettes, peanuts, cigars, T-shirts, cosmetics and boats. 
 
 A separate 10 percent tariff will be imposed on imports of playing cards. 
 
 Trump has said that the tariffs are needed to protect the nation's national security. 
 
 Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Wilbur Louis RossSenior official: Trump administration putting ‘a knife to China’s neck’ with tariffs Trump team wildly underestimated the costs of tariffs The hot race for 5G will change the world we know now MORE told a Senate panel on Wednesday that the Section 232 tariffs were designed to revive the steel and aluminum industries that have been harmed by imports. 
 
 He said a global solution is needed to stop China from shipping its steel through other countries to get around tariffs that the United States has already put into place. 
 
 The EU has said that the U.S. has no grounds for implementing the national security policy and is instead moving to protect American industries. 
 
 In March, Trump decided to implement tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on imported aluminum. 
 
 After months of talks, the Trump administration ended in June a temporary two-month exemption for the EU, Mexico and Canada, all of which have retaliated or plan to do so soon. 
 
 Canada will impose retaliatory tariffs on $12.5 billion worth of U.S. exports starting July 1. 
 
 Mexico has already put tariffs on U.S. products that include steel and pork. 
 
 The EU could levy more tariffs of between 10 percent and 50 percent on billions of dollars more in U.S. goods by 2021.
– A full-blown trade war is looking ever more likely with President Trump threatening US allies upset with the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports he announced just days earlier, USA Today reports. "If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!" Trump tweeted Saturday from Mar-a-Lago. The president announced a 25% tariff on imported steel and 10% tariff on imported aluminum on Thursday. Both Canada and the EU called the tariffs "unacceptable," and the EU threatened to retaliate in the form of tariffs on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Kentucky bourbon, and jeans. Canada also threatened retaliation of its own. The US was the largest market for cars exported from the EU in 2016, importing over 1 million, CNBC reports. According to the Washington Post, Trump's newest tariff threat mostly targets Germany, which exported $23 billion in cars to the US in 2016. Germany's BMW and Volkswagen employ thousands of workers in factories in the US, and critics say a tariff on their cars would only hurt US consumers. Trump said during his presidential campaign that he wanted to fix trade imbalances with China and Mexico. But his announced tariffs on aluminum and steel would mostly affect Canada, the UK, Germany, South Korea, Turkey, and Japan—all allies of the US. “None of this is reasonable, but reason is a sentiment that is very unevenly distributed in this world,” the president of the EU says. Trump on Friday called trade wars "good and easy to win."