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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Washington on Wednesday.

According to State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, they discussed diplomatic efforts in Gaza aimed at releasing hostages and establishing a durable ceasefire, emphasizing the necessity for Hamas to be completely disarmed and disempowered. ​

Rubio expressed gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to facilitate peace between Russia and Ukraine, enhance economic and defense cooperation, eliminate the Houthi threat to the region and restore freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. ​

Both officials agreed on the importance of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces returning to peace talks, protecting civilians, opening humanitarian corridors and returning to civilian governance. ​

They also reaffirmed the significance of the U.S.-Saudi relationship and committed to exploring ways to further strengthen their partnership. JNS

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump intensified his efforts to punish his critics by signing a pair of memoranda directing the Justice Department to investigate two officials from his first administration and stripping them of any security clearances they may have. Trump’s targeting of Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security official in Trump’s first term, and Chris Krebs, a former top cybersecurity official, came as the Republican president has sought to use the powers of the presidency to retaliate against his adversaries, including law firms. Trump also on Wednesday retaliated against another law firm, Susman Godfrey, as he seeks to punish firms that have links to prosecutors who have investigated him or employed attorneys he sees as opponents. Although Trump has ordered security clearances to be stripped from a number of his opponents, including former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, the president’s order Wednesday directing the Justice Department to broadly investigate the actions of Taylor and Krebs marks an escalation of Trump’s campaign of retribution since he returned to power. Taylor, who left the Trump administration in 2019, was later revealed to be the author of an anonymous New York Times op-ed in 2018 that was sharply critical of Trump. The person writing the essay described themselves as part of a secret “resistance” to counter Trump’s “misguided impulses,” and its publication touched off a leak investigation in Trump’s first White House. Taylor later published a book under the pen name “Anonymous” and publicly revealed his identity days before the 2020 election. Trump said Wednesday that Taylor was “like a traitor” and that his writings about “confidential” meetings were “like spying.” “I think he’s guilty of treason,” he said. Taylor responded by saying Trump had proved his point. “Dissent isn’t unlawful. It certainly isn’t treasonous. America is headed down a dark path,” he wrote on X. Trump named Krebs the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency but became angered with him after he declared the 2020 election that Trump lost to be secure and the ballot counts to be accurate. Krebs did not respond to a message seeking comment, but late Wednesday he shared on X a message he originally posted when he left government in 2020: “Honored to serve. We did it right.” Trump has falsely claimed he was cheated out of reelection in 2020 by widespread fraud, despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary. Recounts, reviews and audits in the battleground states where he disputed his loss all affirmed Biden’s victory. Judges, including some he appointed, rejected dozens of his legal challenges. “It’s bizarre to see a president investigate his own administration and his own appointee,” said David Becker, a former Justice Department lawyer and coauthor of “The Big Truth,” a book about Trump’s 2020 election lies. Becker noted that Krebs issued his reassurances about the security of the upcoming election for months during 2020 without pushback from the then-president, with Trump only souring on him after the votes were counted. “The reason he can sit in the White House today and govern from that position is because our election system is secure and has accurately determined who has won the presidency,” Becker said. Susman Godfrey, the firm Trump targeted in an order Wednesday, represented Dominion Voting Systems in a lawsuit that accused […]

The Israel Defense Forces is finalizing plans to evacuate Rafah city and establish a strategic buffer zone along Gaza’s southern border, in what Israeli officials describe as a critical step in the dismantling of Hamas’s military presence in the area.

The plan centers on the construction of the Morag Corridor—a new security strip extending from the Mediterranean coast in the west through the former settlement of Morag, and connecting to the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egyptian border, according to Hebrew media reports. The corridor is expected to stretch up to 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) into Gaza, effectively encircling Rafah.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz stated earlier this week, “Rafah will be evacuated. This area will become a buffer zone to eliminate Hamas’s ability to regroup or smuggle weapons through the southern border.”

The corridor’s establishment comes amid increasing IDF activity in southern Gaza, with updated evacuation maps showing expanded clearance zones near the border. Israeli officials emphasize that this buffer is necessary to prevent the reconstitution of Hamas forces and the use of smuggling tunnels that run between Gaza and Egypt.

“This operation is not only tactical but strategic. Control of Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor will close off Hamas’s last remaining external supply routes,” said an IDF source cited by Ynet.

While the IDF has yet to officially launch a full ground operation in Rafah, preparations are underway, and officials have reiterated that the offensive will move forward once civilian evacuation is complete. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

A flood of Chinese investment—totaling a staggering $1.9 trillion—is rapidly transforming global manufacturing, posing a serious threat to industries across the world, especially in the United States, the NY Post reports.

The Chinese government has funneled enormous sums into boosting factory output over the last four years, launching a massive expansion effort aimed at saturating international markets with low-cost products.

In response, former President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a sweeping 125% tariff on all Chinese goods entering the U.S.—while suspending similar duties on most other nations—marking his latest move to shield American industries from the impact of China’s aggressive export strategy.

Governments around the world are taking similar steps. In recent months, countries like the European Union, Mexico, Brazil, and Thailand have either introduced new trade barriers or are actively considering tariffs to guard against a surge of Chinese goods flooding their markets.

“The tsunami is coming for everyone,” said Katherine Tai, trade representative for former President Joe Biden, told The New York Times.

In a strategic pivot, China has redirected financial resources previously allocated to housing development toward expanding its industrial base. State-run banks have extended nearly $2 trillion in additional loans to manufacturers since 2020, according to new figures obtained by The New York Times from China’s central bank.

Factories are popping up across the country at a breakneck pace, while existing plants are being upgraded with advanced machinery to churn out massive quantities of everything from consumer electronics to automobiles and agricultural chemicals—primed for export.

Among China’s most ambitious projects is the construction of two enormous auto manufacturing plants by carmaker BYD, each of which is on track to surpass the size of the Volkswagen facility in Wolfsburg, Germany—the largest car factory in the world.

China’s exports surged by double digits in the past two years, with a 13% increase in 2023 followed by 17% growth in 2024. Exports now make up about one-fifth of China’s entire economy.

By contrast, the U.S. has seen its export figures shrink. Once at record highs a decade ago, American exports now represent just 11% of the GDP, down from 13.6% in 2012.

Trade with China has been especially hard-hit. U.S. exports to the country dropped nearly 3% last year, falling to $144 billion, according to data from the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. At the same time, the trade deficit with China ballooned to $295 billion.

Despite some previous declines, Chinese imports into the U.S. bounced back last year, climbing almost 3% to reach nearly $440 billion.

Faced with China’s growing dominance in manufacturing, nations are racing to fortify their own markets. Brazil enacted higher tariffs on metal and fiber optic products from China in 2023. The EU slapped Chinese electric vehicles with tariffs exceeding 45% to help safeguard European carmakers.

Mexico has considered aligning its trade policies with U.S. measures by adopting matching tariffs, while Thailand is exploring changes to its free trade agreements that would introduce a 7% tax on inexpensive Chinese imports.

Trump’s dramatic new tariff is aimed at creating a strong protective barrier around U.S. industries in anticipation of the economic pressure heading America’s way.

In some sectors, steep tariffs have already proven effective—particularly on Chinese electric vehicles, which might otherwise have overwhelmed American automakers.

However, for some global competitors, China’s momentum has already had devastating effects. According to ASEAN Briefing, Chinese imports caused manufacturing output in Thailand to plummet by half last year.

{Matzav.com}

The Taliban morality police in Afghanistan have detained men and their barbers over hairstyles and others for missing prayers at mosques during the holy month of Ramadan, a U.N. report said Thursday, six months after laws regulating people’s conduct came into effect. The Vice and Virtue Ministry published laws last August covering many aspects everyday life in Afghanistan, including public transport, music, shaving and celebrations. Most notably, the ministry issued a ban on women’s voices and bare faces in public. That same month, a top U.N. official warned the laws provided a “distressing vision” for the country’s future by adding to existing employment, education, and dress code restrictions on women and girls. Taliban officials have rejected U.N. concerns about the morality laws. Thursday’s report, from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, said in the first 6 months of the laws’ implementation, over half of detentions made under it concerned “either men not having the compliant beard length or hairstyle, or barbers providing non-compliant beard trimming or haircuts.” The report said that the morality police regularly detained people arbitrarily “without due process and legal protections.” During the holy fasting month of Ramadan, men’s attendance at mandated congregational prayers was closely monitored, leading at times to arbitrary detention of those who didn’t show up, the report added. The U.N. mission said that both sexes were negatively affected, particularly people with small businesses such as private education centers, barbers and hairdressers, tailors, wedding caterers and restaurants, leading to a reduction or total loss of income and employment opportunities. The direct and indirect socio-economic effects of the laws’ implementation were likely to compound Afghanistan’s dire economic situation, it said. A World Bank study has assessed that authorities’ ban on women from education and work could cost the country over $1.4 billion per year. But the Taliban leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has emphasized the primacy of Islamic law and the role of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue in reforming Afghan society and its people. In a message issued ahead of the religious Eid Al-Fitr festival that marks the end of Ramadan, Akhundzada said it was necessary “to establish a society free from corruption and trials, and to prevent future generations from becoming victims of misguided beliefs, harmful practices and bad morals.” More than 3,300 mostly male inspectors are tasked with informing people about the law and enforcing it, according to the report. The ministry has resolved thousands of people’s complaints and defended the rights of Afghan women, according to its spokesman Saif ur Rahman Khyber. This was in addition to “implementing divine decrees in the fields of promoting virtue, preventing vice, establishing affirmations, preventing bad deeds, and eliminating bad customs.” The ministry was committed to all Islamic and human rights and had proven this in practice, he said Thursday, rejecting attempts to “sabotage or spread rumors” about its activities. (AP)

Immigration rights groups have launched a legal challenge to stop former President Donald Trump from deporting Venezuelans suspected of gang involvement by relying on a rarely used wartime law.

The Trump team turned to the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, an old statute originally created for national security in wartime, to remove undocumented individuals — particularly those it links to criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua and MS-13.

The Supreme Court upheld the administration’s ability to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport undocumented Venezuelans accused of gang ties. However, the justices made clear that before any deportations proceed, those targeted must be granted a chance to legally contest the action under the provisions of the Act.

A spokesperson for Trump’s Justice Department emphasized, “The department has vigorously defended President Trump’s policies and will continue to do so whenever challenged in federal court by rogue judges who think they can control the President’s foreign policy and national security agenda. The Supreme Court’s recent decisions have validated the DOJ’s ongoing arguments to this end in court.”

Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union pushed back, saying, “Contrary to the administration’s wishful characterization, the Supreme Court emphatically rejected the government’s position that they could whisk people away without giving them an opportunity to challenge their removal to a foreign prison.”

Gelernt continued, “The Court simply issued a technical ruling that the challenges should be by habeas corpus, but in no way remotely suggested the Trump administration would win these challenges.”

In response, the ACLU and allied groups have filed additional motions aiming to prevent the federal government from invoking the Alien Enemies Act at all.

Should that legal maneuver not succeed, the organizations point out that the Supreme Court’s decision still mandates that detainees be officially informed they’re being classified as “enemies” under the law — and be given the opportunity to fight that label in court. The Court did not address whether Trump’s use of the act was legally sound.

This could force immigration officials to present their rationale for designating certain individuals as gang-affiliated and eligible for expedited deportation. Until now, the administration has declined to provide names or evidence, though it claims some of those deported committed serious offenses.

According to one analyst from the Migration Policy Institute, the ruling ensures that due process protections must be extended to these individuals.

“ICE’s position so far has been, ‘We decide that these people are aliens, and we can just remove them. We get to decide who is an enemy and who is not,’ and that, I think, has been set aside by the Supreme Court. That’s the good part. The bad part is that, to use the due process that the Supreme Court said they’re entitled to, is now a much more tedious and difficult hurdle to cross,” said Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at the institute.

{Matzav.com}

Over the past few weeks, as Jewish families prepared for Passover amid soaring food prices, Met Councilled a massive food relief effort to ensure that more than 250,000 food-insecure Jewish Americans could celebrate the holiday with dignity. With grocery costs skyrocketing—some items increasing by 40% since last year and over 200% from pre-pandemic prices—Met Council distributed millions of pounds of free kosher-for-Passover food across 185 distribution sites in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida. Working in partnership with local food pantries, synagogues, and community organizations, Met Council’s coordinated efforts helped struggling families access the essential foods needed for a proper Seder. This year’s distribution was supported by major partners, including Deb El Food Products, which donated millions of eggs—one of the most expensive and hardest-to-find holiday staples—providing crucial relief to families hit hardest by inflation. A Special thanks to UJA-Federation of NY for supporting this Passover food distribution effort. Met Council’s Passover food packages included traditional holiday essentials such as matzah, kosher-for-Passover chicken, gefilte fish, tuna, and grape juice, along with pantry staples like apple sauce, biscotti, borscht, cake mix, chopped walnuts, cocoa powder, jam, lemon juice, macaroons, matzah meal, potato starch, sugar, tomato sauce, and vinegar. Families also received fresh fruits and vegetables, including mandarin oranges, peaches, pickles, and potatoes, ensuring they had everything necessary for a meaningful holiday celebration. More than 30 elected officials joined Met Council’s efforts over the past few weeks, emphasizing the urgent need for food assistance as inflation continues to squeeze household budgets. Events were held across all five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Florida, making it easier than ever for families to receive high-quality kosher food in a dignified and respectful manner. “This Passover, families across our community face unprecedented financial strain due to skyrocketing food costs, but Met Council is there to ensure that no one has to choose between paying for rent, medicine, or putting food on the table,” said Met Council CEO David G. Greenfield. “Thanks to the generosity of our partners and donors, we provide vital food relief to more than a quarter of a million Jewish Americans during the most expensive time of year for Jewish families.” Hannah Lupien, managing director of food programs at Met Council, highlighted the impact of this year’s campaign: “We work around the clock to get food into the hands of those who needed it most, and we are incredibly grateful to Deb El Food Products and all of our partners for making this historic effort possible.” As inflation and economic uncertainty affect families year-round, Met Council remains committed to fighting food insecurity and expanding its efforts beyond Passover. By leveraging partnerships with government agencies, corporate sponsors, and community organizations, Met Council continues to serve as the leading force in providing emergency food assistance to Jewish families in need. For more information or to support Met Council’s ongoing efforts, visit passover.metcouncil.org. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Wednesday that his country has no intention of building a nuclear weapon and even opened the door to potential U.S. economic involvement, should a nuclear agreement be reached.

His remarks came ahead of anticipated negotiations in Oman this past weekend concerning Iran’s controversial nuclear ambitions. The talks follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to office and his ongoing warnings that he would take military action against Iran to stop it from acquiring nuclear arms if needed.

“We are not after a nuclear bomb,” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a speech in Tehran. “You [in the West] have verified it 100 times. Do it 1,000 times again.”

Despite its denials, Iran — which has openly vowed to eliminate Israel — has significantly increased its uranium enrichment, reaching 60 percent purity, a level that has no civilian use and is widely seen as a step toward weapons-grade material. The regime has also restricted access to its nuclear sites by international inspectors.

Pezeshkian added that “his excellency has no opposition to investment by American investors in Iran,” referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “American investors: Come and invest.”

This proposal marks a notable shift from Tehran’s previous posture following the 2015 nuclear accord, when Iran attempted to purchase U.S.-made aircraft but did not allow broader American commercial entry into its markets.

Such an offer could be appealing to President Trump, who pulled out of the 2015 agreement during his first administration and has made clear he is pursuing a new deal with Tehran.

Pezeshkian, elected last year on a promise to strengthen ties with Western countries, also said that the discussions scheduled for Saturday in Oman between Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff would be “indirectly” conducted.

The upcoming negotiations were first disclosed by Trump on Monday. He has repeatedly said he’s willing to order strikes against Iran if it refuses to come to terms and has described the discussions as direct — a possibility Iran has not entirely dismissed following initial engagement.

Still, Iranian officials told Reuters on Tuesday that Tehran is approaching the Oman talks with caution, expressing deep distrust of U.S. motives and minimal hope that the negotiations will lead to real progress.

{Matzav.com}

Slightly more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, but the labor market remains broadly healthy despite an ongoing trade war. Jobless claim filings inched up by 4,000 to 223,000 for the week ending April 5, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s less than the 225,000 new applications analysts forecast. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs, and have mostly ping-ponged between 200,000 and 250,000 for the past few years. Even though President Donald Trump put a 90-day pause on most of his widespread tariff hikes Wednesday, concerns remain about a global economic slowdown that could upend what has been an incredibly resilient labor market. Like his pledge to institute tariffs, Trump’s promise to drastically downsize the federal government workforce is fully in motion. It’s not clear when the job cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency — or “DOGE,” spearheaded by Elon Musk — will surface in the weekly layoffs data, Federal agencies that have either announced layoffs or are planning cuts include the Department of Health and Human Services, IRS, Small Business Administration, Veterans Affairs and Department of Education. Despite showing some signs of weakening during the past year, the labor market remains healthy with plentiful jobs and relatively few layoffs. Last week, the government reported that U.S. employers added a surprisingly strong 228,000 jobs in March and while the unemployment rate inched up to 4.2%, that’s a healthy figure by historical standards. Some high-profile companies have announced job cuts already this year, including Workday, Dow, CNN, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines and Facebook parent company Meta. The four-week average of applications, which aims to smooth out some of the week-to-week swings, was unchanged at 223,000. The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of March 29 fell by 43,000 to 1.85 million. (AP)

House Republicans narrowly passed a long-awaited budget framework on Thursday, finally paving the way for them to begin crafting President Trump’s ambitious legislative proposal, often referred to as his “big, beautiful” agenda.

The budget plan was approved in a tight 216–214 vote, with Republican Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana breaking ranks and voting against the resolution.

Although this represents a crucial procedural step forward, internal party divisions over federal spending levels continue to pose major challenges for advancing Trump’s signature policies.

“We want to make sure we’re delivering on our shared goals in the budget resolution process,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said to reporters before the vote. “Our two chambers are directly aligned also on a very important principle: And that is the principle of fiscal responsibility.”

“We’re going to protect the essential programs for everybody that’s eligible to receive those.”

In order to begin the reconciliation process—which allows for legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority and sidestep a Democratic filibuster—both chambers of Congress had to approve the same budget resolution.

With Republicans holding 53 seats in the Senate, the reconciliation path is crucial to enacting Trump’s legislative priorities on tax reform, energy expansion, military funding, and securing the border.

The Senate had already signed off on the compromise resolution the week before.

For weeks, House and Senate Republicans had been locked in a standoff over how aggressively to slash government spending in the budget blueprint that would support Trump’s key initiatives.

Unable to reach a unified stance quickly, the Senate moved ahead with its own version last week, which included dual sets of reconciliation instructions: one aligned with the House’s earlier February plan calling for at least $1.5 trillion in reductions, and another far less aggressive option that proposed just $4 billion in cuts tailored specifically for the Senate.

{Matzav.com}

Chabad Headquarters marked the 123rd birthday of the Rebbe—with Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky announcing the next round of thirty-five new Shluchim couples who will be supported with seed grants to expand the Rebbe’s life’s work in some of the most unexpected corners of the world. From Mykonos to Kenya, West Adams to Tanzania, they are planting seeds of Jewish life—some where Jewish infrastructure once existed, others where it never did. Each of these couples is receiving seed funding from Keren Hashluchim to help establish new Chabad centers and build Jewish communities, carrying forward a vision that has, for generations, redefined what it means to be there for another Jew. Yud Aleph Nissan has long served as a catalyst for expansion. In 1972, on the Rebbe’s 70th birthday, the Rebbe famously requested that Chassidim establish 71 new institutions—one for each year. It was a transformative moment. The Rebbe personally contributed ten percent of the initial costs for each project, and reports streamed in from across the world as schools, mikvahs, and Chabad Houses were launched in response. Wednesday’s initiative builds on that same momentum. “Today, as many Jews face uncertainty, despair, and disconnection, these new Shluchim are offering the opposite: stability, hope, and belonging,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Director of the International Conference of Shluchim, and oversees the New Shluchim department of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch. “This Yud Aleph Nissan, as antisemitism rises and more Jews feel isolated, the Rebbe’s response continues to guide us: build. The answer is always to build—more light, more connection, more Jewish homes in the places they’re needed most.” The initiative also follows through on a commitment made by Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, who announced at the Kinus Hashluchos last year that Keren Hashluchim would fund 100 new Shluchim couples, this is the second segment announced bringing the total to 85 so far. After being approved by the board of Merkos, many of the couples have already begun laying down roots. Rabbi Michoel and Hindy Zajac are now in West Adams, a historic Los Angeles neighborhood where Jewish life once thrived in the early 20th century but has since faded, leaving beautiful old synagogues derelict. But Rabbi Michoel Zajac, together with his wife Hindy, recipients of the grant, have been working hard to change that. “While preparing for our permanent move to West Adams, we’ve spent the past few months going door-to-door and have connected with over 80 Jewish people in the area,” Michoel shares. “Located just outside the Los Angeles eruv, West Adams has the potential to return to its past as a bustling Jewish community. We aim to develop the Jewish infrastructure needed to make that happen and to provide a home for the many Yidden already living here. Especially in these challenging times for the Jewish community, the Jews we’ve met have been grateful to be welcomed by Chabad, and we are honored to do our part for the Rebbe’s greater vision.” Over ten thousand miles away, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Rabbi Shimon Menachem and Chana Aziza are working to meet a very real need—one that has never been addressed in the country’s history: building the first-ever mikvah. “We’ve seen a deep thirst among the Jews here to reconnect to their identity,” said Rabbi Aziza. “There are around 150 Jews living permanently in Tanzania, plus […]

The European Union’s top governing body announced Thursday that it would freeze its planned retaliation against new U.S. tariffs for a period of 90 days, aligning its response with President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily suspend the tariffs. The pause is aimed at allowing space for talks that could lead to a diplomatic resolution.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the Commission, which oversees trade for all 27 EU nations, “took note of the announcement by President Trump.”

She stated that the EU would delay the imposition of tariffs on $23 billion worth of American goods for 90 days, explaining that the decision was made because “we want to give negotiations a chance.”

However, she cautioned that this delay is not indefinite: “If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in.”

Trump recently instituted a 20% tariff on European imports, part of a wider campaign of trade restrictions aimed at addressing U.S. trade imbalances. He announced, however, that these would be paused for three months to enable discussions with affected countries.

While von der Leyen expressed appreciation for Trump’s move to suspend most of the new tariffs, she refrained from confirming whether the EU would follow through with its planned retaliatory tariffs. “I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE,” Trump said, referencing over 75 nations that had entered trade negotiations with the U.S. without retaliating against his latest tariff hikes. During this pause, countries covered by the suspension will face a 10% tariff. The EU’s initial tariff rate was 20%, though it’s unclear exactly how the 27-member bloc will be affected.

Notably, China was excluded from the pause, and Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports to a staggering 125%.

Von der Leyen referred to the suspension of retaliatory tariffs as “an important step towards stabilizing the global economy. Clear, predictable conditions are essential for trade and supply chains to function.”

Prior to Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, EU nations had voted to enact their own tariffs targeting $23 billion worth of U.S. goods, in response to his 25% duties on imported steel and aluminum. The EU had criticized those measures as “unjustified and damaging.”

The EU’s tariffs were designed to roll out in phases, with certain levies taking effect on April 15, others on May 15, and the final batch on December 1. The European Commission has yet to disclose the full list of impacted products. In recent weeks, the bloc’s lead trade negotiator has been making frequent trips between Brussels and Washington in an attempt to prevent a major trade fallout.

Despite Trump’s pause, von der Leyen has not indicated any change in the EU’s timeline. Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said that the EU “will now take the necessary time to assess this latest development, in close consultation with our member states and industry, before deciding on next steps.”

EU countries reiterated their preference for a negotiated solution to the growing trade dispute. Von der Leyen reaffirmed that goal, stating the EU seeks a resolution “with the goal of achieving frictionless and mutually beneficial trade.”

Nevertheless, von der Leyen emphasized that the EU remains committed to broadening its trade relationships globally.

She affirmed that the EU will continue “engaging with countries that account for 87% of global trade and share our commitment to a free and open exchange of goods, services, and ideas,” while also working to eliminate barriers to trade within its own internal market.

“Together, Europeans will emerge stronger from this crisis,” von der Leyen said.

{Matzav.com}

The European Union’s executive commission said Thursday it will put trade retaliation measures on hold for 90 days to match President Donald Trump’s pause on his sweeping new tariffs and leave room for a negotiated solution. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the commission, which handles trade for the bloc’s 27 member countries, “took note of the announcement by President Trump.” New tariffs on 20.9 billion euros ($23 billion) of US goods will be put on hold for 90 days because “we want to give negotiations a chance,” she said in a statement. But she warned: “If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in.” Trump imposed a 20% levy on goods from the EU as part of his onslaught of tariffs of 10% and upward against global trading partners but said Wednesday he will pause them for 90 days to give countries a chance to negotiate solutions to U.S. trade concerns. Countries subject to the pause will face Trump’s 10% baseline tariff. Before Trump’s announcement, EU member countries voted to approve a set of retaliatory tariffs on $23 billion in goods in response to his 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum that took effect in March. The EU, the largest trading partner of the U.S., described them as “unjustified and damaging.” The EU tariffs were set to go into effect in stages, some on April 15 and others on May 15 and Dec. 1. The EU commission didn’t immediately provide a list of the goods. Members of the EU — the world’s largest trading bloc — have said they prefer a negotiated deal to resolve a trade war that damages the economies on both sides. The bloc’s top trade official has shuttled between Brussels and Washington for weeks trying to head off a conflict. The EU has offered Trump a “zero for zero” deal in which both sides would eliminate tariffs on industrial goods including autos. Trump has said that’s not enough to answer U.S. concerns and raised the possibility of Europe buying large additional amounts of U.S. liquefied natural gas. The targeted goods are a tiny fraction of the 1.6 trillion euros ($1.8 trillion) in U.S.-EU annual trade. Some 4.4 billion euros in goods and services crosses the Atlantic each day in what the European Commission calls “the most important commercial relationship in the world.” The EU has targeted smaller lists of goods in hopes of exerting political pressure and avoiding economic damage from a wider escalation of tit-for-tat tariffs. The EU is also working on a further set of countermeasures in response to Trump’s blanket 20% tariff on all European goods, now suspended. That could include measures aimed at U.S. tech companies and the services sector as well as trade in goods. Still, von der Leyen said that Europe intends to diversify its trade partnerships. She said that the EU will continue “engaging with countries that account for 87% of global trade and share our commitment to a free and open exchange of goods, services, and ideas,” and to lift barriers to commerce inside its own single market. “Together, Europeans will emerge stronger from this crisis,” von der Leyen said. (AP)