Trump Threatens Tariffs If EU Doesn’t Buy More Us Oil And Gas

US President-elect Donald Trump has issued a warning to the European Union, threatening tariffs if member countries do not raise their imports of US oil and gas.

“I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large scale purchase of our oil and gas. Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way!!!,” Trump declared on Truth Social.

The United States, the world’s largest crude oil producer and leading exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), has already witnessed interest from purchasers such as the European Union and Vietnam in acquiring more American energy resources in order to potentially avoid tariffs.

Following Trump’s recent election victory, EU authorities and member states have prepared for a potential trade confrontation. During Trump’s previous presidency, the group was subjected to steel and aluminum tariffs, requiring a rethinking of its trade strategies and an expansion of its counter-coercive trade policies.

Speaking after a G7 meeting in Italy last month, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addressed the potential challenges of the new administration. “If the new US administration pursues a ‘United States first’ policy in the sectors of climate or trade, then our response will be ‘Europe united,'” she went on.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated that US LNG may replace Russian imports, particularly as the EU strives to lessen its reliance on Moscow amid the protracted conflict in Ukraine. “We still get a whole lot of LNG via Russia, from Russia. And why not replace it with American LNG, which is cheaper and lowers our energy costs?” von der Leyen remarked following a conversation with Trump.

The EU has strengthened its defenses in anticipation of future trade disputes with Washington, including the anti-coercion instrument, which permits the bloc to impose tariffs or punitive measures in response to politically motivated trade restrictions, and the EU’s foreign subsidies regulation, which permits action against foreign companies benefiting from unfair state subsidies.

Although the US is already Europe’s largest supplier of LNG, Russia continues to be a significant source of imports, and EU officials are investigating measures to lessen Moscow’s influence, but strict restrictions on Russian energy remain difficult to implement.

Europe is already a key location for US LNG and crude oil exports, with over half of US LNG deliveries going to the continent last year. As the EU continues to brace for potential trade confrontations, Trump’s aggressive trade stance highlights the challenges ahead for transatlantic relations under his administration.

Trump has regularly criticized the EU over issues ranging from defense spending to the trade deficit, targeting countries with trade imbalances, including Canada, China, and the EU.