The Trump administration has warned the European Union that it will retaliate if Brussels favours domestic defence industries in its European rearmament drive, in effect demanding that Europe assume greater responsibility for its own defence while keeping its doors open to American weapons, according to a Politico report.
In a submission to a European Commission consultation earlier this month on rules for European weapons procurement, the US government staked out a previously unseen position. The United States strongly opposes any changes to the Directive that would limit U.S. industry's ability to support or otherwise participate in EU member state national defense procurements, the US response stated, submitted just ahead of an upcoming update to the EU's defence procurement directive.
Protectionist and exclusionary policies that strong-arm American companies out of the market – when Europe's largest defense firms continue to greatly benefit from market access in the United States – are the wrong course of action, the submission added.
The report noted that Washington's stance highlights a paradox in its policy toward Europe: while the Trump administration demands that Europe assume primary responsibility for its own continental defence, it does not want this shift to come at the expense of the US defence industry.
Nearly two-thirds of Europe's imported weapons come from the United States, from F-35 stealth fighters and HIMARS rocket systems to Patriot air defence batteries. Europe has relied heavily on American military equipment for decades. In recent years, the European Commission has sought to increase the share of European weapons in member states' procurement contracts. However, the Trump administration's stance threatens to complicate the Commission's "Buy European" industrial policy and will test how far European nations are willing to go in reducing their dependence on the United States.
(Source: Wen Wei Po)
Related News:
Trump says Iran has 10 to 15 days to reach nuclear deal
Canada unveils historic defence industrial strategy to reduce reliance on US
Comment