The European Union is bracing for a possible trade war with the United States. On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump called the trade relationship an “atrocity,” complaining that the EU exports far more to the United States than it imports.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe’s best approach is to remain level-headed.

Joining the discussion:

• Oliver Holtemoller is the Vice President of the Halle Institute for Economic Research.
• Armin Steinbach is a Professor of EU Law and Economics with the business school, HEC Paris.
• Klisman Murati is the Founder of Pareto Economics and creator of the Global Power Index.
• Philippe Legrain is former Economic Adviser to the President of the European Commission and Visiting Senior Fellow with the London School of Economics’ European Institute.

“We want to avoid a global race to the bottom that is in no one's interest.” Those were the words of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as the war of words with U.S. President Donald Trump over tariffs heats up. #tariffs #trump pic.twitter.com/gZuMKtGxy8

— CGTN Europe (@CGTNEurope) February 4, 2025