World leaders react to Trump's trade tariffs: 'Tariffs drive inflation, hurt people on both sides, put jobs at risk'

United States President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs on trading partners are set to begin this weekend. Trump has imposed a higher rate on "worst offenders" to take effect next week.

The White House told reporters that a "baseline" 10 per cent tariff would start at 12:01 am (0401 GMT) on April 5, while higher rates on various partners would begin from 12:01 am on April 9.

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World leaders denounce the tariffs

Australia

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Trump's trade tariffs on close ally Australia are "not the act of a friend" and will hurt the two nations' relationship. "These tariffs are not unexpected, but let me be clear, they are totally unwarranted," he said.

"The Australian people have every right to view this action by the Trump administration as undermining our free and fair trading relationship and counter to the shared values that have always been at the heart of our two nations long-standing friendship," Albanese said, adding that the new measures could change how people see their relationship.

"This will have consequences for how Australians see this relationship," the Australian leader added.

Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed to "fight" against tariffs, which he warned will "fundamentally change the global trading system."

Carney noted that Trump's latest announcement "preserved a number of important elements of our relationship, the commercial relationship between Canada and the United States."

The prime minister, a wealthy former investment banker, said that Trump's trade war will "negatively" impact the US economy and will "directly affect millions of Canadians."

"We are going to fight these tariffs with counter measures. We are going to protect our workers," Carney said in Ottawa, further adding, "In a crisis it is important to come together and it is essential to act with purpose and with force and that is what we will do."

China

China said it "firmly opposes" new US tariffs on its exports. Beijing also vowed "countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests".

The Commerce Ministry in Beijing said in a statement that those tariffs "do not comply with international trade rules and seriously harm the legitimate rights and interests of the relevant parties".

It urged Washington to "immediately cancel" them, warning they "endanger global economic development", hurting US interests and international supply chains. It also accused the United States of a "typical unilateral bullying practice".

"The US claims to have suffered losses in international trade, using so-called 'reciprocity' as an excuse to raise tariffs on all trade partners," Beijing said.

"This approach disregards the balance of interests achieved through years of multilateral trade negotiations and ignores the fact that the US has long profited significantly from international trade," it added.

It instead called for "dialogue" to resolve the dispute.

"There is no winner in a trade war, and there is no way out for protectionism," it said, adding that "history has proven that raising tariffs does not solve the US's own problems."

Japan

Japan's trade minister Yoji Muto criticised the measure after being hit with a 24 percent US levy on its exports.

"The unilateral tariff measures taken by the US are extremely regrettable, and I have again strongly urged (Washington) not to apply them to Japan," he said.

Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters the tariffs may contravene World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and the pair's trade treaty.

Ireland

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said any EU reaction to US tariffs of 20 percent should be "proportionate", adding he deeply regretted the move by Trump.

"I deeply regret the US decision to impose 20% tariffs on imports from across the European Union," the taoiseach added.

"We see no justification for this. More than €4.2bn worth of goods and services are traded between the EU and the US daily.

"Disrupting this deeply integrated relationship benefits no one. Tariffs drive inflation, hurt people on both sides of the Atlantic, and put jobs at risk."

He also said that the Irish government would "now reflect with" EU partners on the next steps, but "any action should be proportionate, aimed at defending the interests of our businesses, workers and citizens," Martin said in a statement.

Italy

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the new US tariffs on the EU "wrong". She said the bloc will do all it can "to work for a deal with the United States, aiming to prevent a trade war that would inevitably weaken the West in favour of other global actors".

Meloni's foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, wrote on X that he would meet with EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic in Brussels on Thursday, and the

Sweden

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said: "We don't want growing trade barriers. We don't want a trade war."

"We want to find our way back to a path of trade and cooperation together with the US, so that people in our countries can enjoy a better life," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)