President Donald Trump has announced he plans to increase a tariff on cars and trucks imported from the European Union effective next week, a move that could jolt the world economy at a fragile moment. “I am pleased to announce that, based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to trade deal, next week I will be increasing tariffs charged to the European Union for cars and trucks coming into the United States. The tariff will be increased to 25%,” he wrote Friday. “It is fully understood and agreed that, if they produce cars and trucks in U.S.A. plants, there will be NO TARIFF.” Trump did not elaborate on his specific grievances over the EU and their supposed noncompliance with the trade deal. It comes despite an agreement reached last July between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which established a 15% tariff on the majority of goods.

      • Thorry@feddit.org
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        4 days ago

        There are so many huge ass American trucks on the road in Europe. They don’t fit anywhere, they take up way too much parking space. And the people driving them ride around like lunatics. They go way too fast everywhere, can’t see anything, don’t even notice speedbumps as they drive over at double the speed limit. They don’t care for pedestrians or bikes and regularly hop the curve. They usually park on the sidewalk or in the grass as they don’t fit in parking spaces. They make too much noise, use too much fuel and exhaust too much shit. I’ve also seen them not give way in situations they should have, because with a big thing like that barreling down the road, who’s going to argue.

        There is this one asshole I see all the time that has a huge engine and what sounds like no exhaust on his lifted American truck. He drives at full open throttle till the last possible moment before a curve, only to hit the brakes as hard as he can, to then accelerate again full blast. I’m pretty sure people simple walking past can get hearing damage from that thing. Also he works in construction so he likes to drive all through the neighborhood at 6:00 in the morning. I’ve seen another truck that is so large, there is an extra step that is electrically extended when parked. It’s fucking wide as well, so it always parks in the middle of a small little park, otherwise it would block the road. Another dickhead that thankfully has since moved away used to always drive waaay too fast with his American truck. Like most of them drive too fast, but this dude was doing over 100 on small neighborhood streets with a speed limit of 30. And we’re talking European small streets, so like the width of an American truck. I’ve seen people jank their dogs on the leash out of the path of this asshole and seen him drive kids on bike off the road.

        They use some weird loophole meant for importing really unique vehicles that can’t pass any European inspection. Like for example a hotdog shaped food truck or something like that. But these special import companies label custom ordered big ass American trucks as specialty vehicles and import them like that. That way they don’t have to pass inspection (because they are super duper illegal just as a regular car) and they don’t even pay regular taxes on the thing. The EU has said they are going to close the loophole for years now, but it hasn’t happened yet.

        It’s really amazing there are people out there who are such levels of asshole as to put a shit ton of money into something like that. It’s like going out of your way to show the world just how much of an asshole you are and at the same time a tool to be even more of an asshole.