EU launches retaliatory tariffs on US goods
London, June 22 : The European Union (EU) on Friday launched tariffs on some $3.2 billion worth of American goods, in retaliation for tariffs US President Donald Trump's administration imposed on imported steel and aluminium earlier this month.
The bloc slapped a 25 per cent tariff on American products such as whiskey, tobacco, Harley Davidson motorcycles, cranberries and peanut butter, reports The Independent.
They also leveraged another 50 per cent tax on select items such as footwear, some types of clothing and washing machines.
Speaking to the Irish Parliament on Thursday night, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU would "do what we have to do to rebalance and safeguard" against the US tariffs.
"It goes against all logic and history," he said of the US taxes.
"Our response must be clear but measured."
The statement echoed the words EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström remarks on Wednesday that the 28-member bloc was "left with no other choice" than to impose retaliatory measures.
The tariffs come weeks after the Trump administration implemented a 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent tariff on aluminium, affecting trade partners like Canada, Mexico, and the EU, The Independent reported.
Trump threatened additional taxes on European cars if the EU chose to retaliate. The EU has also filed a case with the World Trade Organisation (WTO), claiming Trump's tariffs were "pure protectionist" and "illegal".
They also threatened a second round of tariffs on some $4.3 billion worth of US products if the dispute was not resolved.
Mexico has already announced its own tariffs on US goods, and Canada's tariffs on nearly $13 billion of US products are set to take effect next month.
Trump has also imposed tariffs on other trade partners as well, slapping a 25 per cent tariff on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods last week.
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Govt floats tender for new Shivaji Maharaj statue in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg
Mumbai (PTI): In the wake of collapse of the Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg, the Maharashtra government has issued a tender for the construction of a new 60-foot-tall statue there, nearly twice the size of the previous one, officials said on Wednesday.
The statue will be built at a cost of Rs 20 crore and the government has set a six-month timeframe for the completion of the work, they said.
A 35-foot-tall statue of the 17th century Maratha empire founder, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil of Sindhudurg district on December 4 (Navy Day) last year, collapsed on August 26 amid strong winds.
The statue's sculptor, Jaydeep Apte, was later arrested.
The government has faced flak as the opposition parties alleged the decision to install the statue in Sindhudurg was taken haphazardly, which resulted in poor quality of work.
Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) had flagged concerns over rust gathering on Shivaji Maharaj’s statue and suggested permanent measures in a letter sent to a Naval official just six days before the structure collapsed.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had said the statue was designed and constructed by the Indian Navy.
He claimed winds were blowing at 45 km per hour when the statue collapsed.
A tender has been issued for the construction of a new statue and its height would be 60 feet, a PWD official said.
"The total cost would now be Rs 20 crore, including its engineering, installation and maintenance. The government has given six months to complete the work. The height of the statue would be 60 feet," the official said.
