Trump says EU must buy $350B of US energy to get tariff relief

This is just Mafia like extortion. It doesnt really matter now if/when these tariffs are undone - Trump has totally destroyed the US reputation as a reliable ally and trade partmer.
No deal with the US is worth the paper its written on, as everything is dependent on the whims of one person.
Presidential systems are sources of weakness and instabilty it seems. They're no better than monarchs, and the whole system can easily be twisted into dictatorship. Look at Russia and now the US.
- Turns out that allowing people to choose from a very limited pool of potential rulers every couple of years doesn't actually give them any real power over their society, and maybe it's just a way to delay revolution while the true ruling class gets all the benefits of the old monarchs with almost none of the blowback, because we're all too divided over which potential ruler is less blatantly evil to address the real problems.
  It's a very effective method of social control, but it would be a really bad idea for one of the de facto ruling class to try to step into the de jure ruler's office and try to run it for himself like a dictator. That would probably blow up in his face.
- He also crippled the trust in us tech. It will be a slow change but the EU will eventually get rid of Microsoft 365.
  
  And Azure (process is already running at work) and Google workplace like things (searching for a eu partner).
- It's a classical pol sci example for how to do or not do things. Emerging democracy's that adapts presidential systems are far easier to go back to a dictatorship than a semi presidential or parliamentary system is. So all US advisors in south America pushed for presidential systems.

The EU are currently trying the carrot (offering zero for zero), Next comes the stick (targeted import and export tarrifs).. it would hurt the EU, but cripple the US.
- Just tariff cloud stocks, watch everything crumble.
  
  Coordinate with China on this shit. The EU and China may have their differences, but they have a common goal here and together they substantially outweigh the US
  
  Or choose to ignore us American interlecutal property and start the second golden age of piracy
- EU should target the services. US exports services like google, meta etc than goods. If that happens, US goes to depression.
  
  That one could be trickier as many Europeans work for the US big service companies ( Microsoft, Google etc..)
- I don't live anywhere in the northern hemisphere and I can't say I know much about economy and international affairs. Which targeted tariffs you think the EU will impose that will cripple US?
  
  Either tariff all big tech companies or just outright ban them from being allowed in the public sector. If you ban amazon, microsoft, google, meta, etc then the US economy will be in shambles. Big techs revenue is like ~10% of the total US GDP.
- I personally am loving the non-tarrif retaliation by China on the US. Basically banning exports to the US of critical minerals that only they produce. Love to see it.
- EU tariffs alone would not be that painful on their own, but add in Asian tarrifs and perhaps some South American numbers... maybe bring the penguins in too.

They should say "okay but only green energy, no oil or gas"
- Please send solar panels Sincerely,
  -Europe
- I guarantee that all of a sudden the only energy the USA produces would be green. (According to the USA)
  
  That's why they want Greenland.

Sounds like there won't be any good faith negotiations with the US.
This sounds like BS, does the US even have enough capxitt or export $350 billion worth of energy (oil, LNG?).
- Even I can sell $350B worth of energy if I increase the price enough.
  
  That is one expensive AAA battery.
  
  Too much effort. Just don't deliver

But he said the tariffs were permanent. This was not a 'negotiating' tactic. Oh wait, he fucking lied, like he does every time he breathes. This is the "art of the deal", AKA the bad deal. What an idiot bully con man. President Felon.
- They basically are permanent if his alternative is the EU buying the entire GDP of Finland in extra LNG every year
- What nobody realized is that the "art" in "art of the deal" was one of those modern "monkey threw feces at the wall" type of art pieces.
  
  The Shart of the Deal.

oh my good lord he's and actual toddler
- We don't put children in charge of shit they don't understand for a reason. You don't understand that, either.
  
  These are mob tactics. He is adopting the fucking Sopranos as international policy. This isn't childish, it's thuggish.
  
  How about you fuck off and let people speak their mind on the Internet you creep

Just say no EU. The more he hears the word the more it will drive home how wrong he is. Of course his type is incapable of admitting that they are wrong.

They don't need $350B of US energy. why not sell something they need instead for forcing your customer to eat "McDonald's" when they don't need or want to.
Might as well force penguins to buy ice cube and snow made in US.
- Also they dont "owe" the US anything. Trump has a cretinous understanding of economics.
  
  He is all about win-lose
- If they needed it, they'd have bought it. The whole point with all this is, to have the rest of the world buy stuff from the US, that they don't neen or already buy from other places because it makes more sense. There is no logic - it is straight up blackmail
- Honestly, pressuring someone into a purchase is how they start to think that maybe your products aren't worth their perceived value. Otherwise, why the hard sell?
  Art of the deal, my ass. I wonder if he can even feel embarrassment or if he simply hides it behind his "masterful leader" persona.
- I'm pretty sure he knows they don't need it and that that's the point. He's probably trying to force to buy stuff they don't need in addition to the stuff they need, which they'll buy anyway.

He also criticized EU product standards as “non-monetary barriers” designed to block American exports.
lol, lmfao even
product standards exist for a reason.

how about no, fuckface

Wait, wait, wait.
Trump, under the direction of parties unknown, is trying to force the EU to buy U.S. energy resources, and that’s the linchpin of his trade war with them?
Is he trying to give Europe a nudge back to Russian oil supplies?
- If you’re a (western) European leader returning to Russian energy is at best shortsighted amnesia, at worst blatant malfeasance. There’s several reasons to not go back to Russia:
  Official legal based sanctions on Russian energy
  Ukrainian drone based ‘sanctions’ on Russian energy
  Russia’s track record of energy blackmail/hybrid warfare
  LNG and oil production available in your EEZ/the EU, albeit at higher cost than imported
  Domestic solar, hydro, and wind manufacturing/generation is ramping up
  French nuclear energy exports
  Domestic politics ie. voters turning against Russian imperial aggression/expansionism
  Eastern Europe has a slightly different incentive mix, but there’s still a lot of reasons to not
  
  Those are very well considered points, but Trump is an idiot.
  
  Most of these are not really a problem though, even less for the kind of psychos that run the EU. Sanctions can be lifted, and Ukraine shouldn't be able to do much against both Russia and the EU. While renewables and nuclear are increasing, Russian energy could help until they are 100% ready. Voters won't do much if they are told "see, the US is trying to scam us, and in these trying times we've struck a deal with Russia and you'll be paying less for power and heat".
  The problem with striking a deal with Russia is that it's not the most reliable partner right now (your 3rd point), but the people in charge can ignore the rest and have no problems sleeping.
  Edit: this is not a defense of Russia but a critique of the powers that be in the EU.
  
  So what do you suggest here? I see no reasonable option…
- Or y'know, give Canada somewhere else to sell theirs.

- Always has been.

I really hope that EU will remain strong and not fall for any of this BS!
- And the next winter wont be too cold.
  
  Goes for the US too, Ameritard.

Amerikkka can fuck off.

Ah, so now they are begging for money. Hard no, pass, skip, forget it, we're good thanks.
- " I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It's PATHETIC.”

Fuck Trump. Buy nothing from us. Tell yur leaders fuck not and burn down the country if they do.

Ues, becoming energy dependent on this belligerent administration sounds like a great idea

FUCK YOU TRUMP

Ok, let's negotiate. How about this: I'll buy one Big Mac, and in return US will buy 3000 Volkswagens, 1500 Mercedes(es?!?) and at least 3 French or Italian cars...
That way the US ends up with good cars, and I am willing to risk my own health in order to improve the relations.
- Maaaaybe an Alfa, but I'm not buying a damn Fiat.
  
  Ferrari and Lambo are still cars, with how they are ripping off the middle class, there should be enough billionaires
  
  Fiat, F.ix I.t A.gain T.ony.
  
  Why would you buy an alfa? They break before they leave the dealership

- Or your mad cow beef!

He says a lot of shit that doesn't make any sense.
Seriously, he's demented.
- I don't think he's more demented than he used to be years ago 🤷
  
  If you watch him in videos from the 80s and 90s, back then, he could actually form a coherent sentence. He was still a narcissistic asshole, but his mental acuity has definitely declined

Pass. I hear China has a lot of spare renewable stuff on discount now that you're no longer going to be trading with them, we'll enjoy those instead.

EU should squeeze the Tariff wokism out of Snowflake Trump.

I think we should smoke that orange asshole out by immediately retaliating with the exact same percentage tariffs.

this just sounds like hes now doing overtly what the us has been doing covertly.

Get bent orange fuckface!

As soon as he spends that much on ukraine

This fucking moron. So he shuts down green energy initiatives here, tries to push oil, then tries to force other countries to buy dirty energy. Fucks sake man it's something new every day.

Whatever, Trump.

Where is the U.S.A going to get the extra gas/petrol? They are an importer of energy themselves. LOL
- In 2023, the United States imported about 8.51 million barrels per day (b/d) of petroleum from 86 countries. In 2023, the United States exported about 10.15 million b/d of petroleum to 173 countries and 3 U.S. territories.
  The resulting total net petroleum imports (imports minus exports) were about -1.64 million b/d, which means that the United States was a net petroleum exporter of 1.64 million b/d in 2023.
  https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&t=6
  The US hasn't been a net importer of oil for a long time. The reason there is still oil imports in the US is due to different oil types and refinery configurations, not because total oil production doesn't meet demand.
- at this point i think the game is just to do something even dumber the next so people forget the other stupid shit like gulf of murica or whatever the idiot came up with the last weeks. he just put a tariffs on eggs...on costly precious eggs....a madman.
- Last I looked, the US was a net exporter of oil and nat gas.
- More importantly what is that going to do to the price of oil in the US
  
  How pathetic would it be if oil is gonna be the tipping point for americans. Look, we liked the racist, he might be a pedophile, a rapist and overall sex pest, he's obese, lazy, he plays more golf than doing actual work, he looks like a potato that once wore his adult toddler pants backwards, he might ahit his pants every now and then and he's robbing us blind in front of our eyes, he once tried to nuke a hurricane and he's cutting school lunches and wants nothing more than a military parade like every dictator, and maybe fascism is actually cool.... But expensive oil? In MY america, hell no, i want to pollute the world and i want to do it cheap

Whatever the Tangerine Tyrant says...

There is zero chance that tariffs will go away by trump's own actions in the short term. He's committed to using them as the method of paying billionaires off with their tax cuts that have us very underwater right now.
The trade deficit is just some smoke and mirrors that they are using to say "look how unfair they are!" and to decline any rational negotiations for free trade.
he might make short term pauses especially if he will get something from it for his buddies, but he's not looking to use any other revenue strategy. He's there to cut anything going to people who don't vote for him or pay him (don't forget that the billionaires all just kissed the ring with 1M for his inauguration party.) He's just going to keep the trump sales tax strategy as his method of enriching the wealthy. Life is cheap when you make vast in excess of the taxed bare necessities with interest or dividends alone.
- There is zero chance that tariffs will go away by trump’s own actions in the short term. He’s committed to using them as the method of paying billionaires off with their tax cuts that have us very underwater right now.
  Other than those same oligarchs metaphorically smacking him in the back of the head for crashing thier stock market and risking a depression.
  At this point, they would have cost them less to elect Harris and pay the taxes.

I assume we have some sort of underwater power line, but at first I was like: what are they gonna use to transport it? Buckets?
- Since Trump's idea of energy is coal, quite possibly. Brought to you on a coal-powered steamboat.
- Ships of course, it's the way all countries already do it. https://www.follow-this.org/roughly-40-percent-of-all-bulk-shipping-globally-is-for-coal-oil-and-gas/

That's like walking past a McDonald's and having the manager grab you and drag you inside the store and force you to buy some McNuggets. I am scared that Trump is not an idiot and knows exactly what he wants to achieve. It starts with "I'll show them...".

And if the EU needed any further incentive to keep rushing for renewable energy, here it is.

EU will bend the knee too

It was ridiculous to see massive ships that took natural gas to Europe instead of using the huge gas pipes coming from Russia.
Ridiculous Ridiculous kids
- Feeding money to Russia was madness and had to be stopped as a priority. Nothing ridiculous about it.
  
  I know why they did it, but from a logical pov it hurt
  
  Right. Feeding Trump's kingdom of madness is so much better. What might possibly go wrong...
- Tell Russia that, the EU never turned them off or stopped ordering. It was Russia who turned them off to try to bully the EU.
- Those gas pipes never stopped being used.
  
  Or sabotaged...