• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. Belgian PM criticised Trump's arbitrary trade policies without naming him.
  2. Warned rising protectionism and trade barriers hurt global economy.
  3. Advocated India-EU trade deal as "structural buffer" against tariffs.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever appeared to take an indirect swipe at US President Donald Trump’s trade policies while speaking in Mumbai during his 3-day India visit. Without naming Trump, De Wever criticised changing his tariff decisions and warned that rising protectionism and trade barriers could hurt the global economy.

Belgian PM Takes Swipe At Trump’s Tariff Policy

Addressing the India-Belgium High-Level Dialogue on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement on Friday, De Wever said more countries were now supporting higher trade barriers, closed markets and tariffs. He said, “Some do this entirely arbitrarily. They decide something on Monday, they revoke it on Wednesday, and they reinstall it on Saturday. But others take a different approach and set out deliberately and structurally to distort the market,” he said as quoted by news agency ANI.

As his remarks drew big applause from the audience, De Wever said, “Your applause tells me you know who I am talking about.” While the Belgian Prime Minister did not directly name Trump, he made it clear who he was referring to. He later said, “I am not going to say the name, but you know who I mean,” while criticising the use of tariffs and changing positions on international trade.

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His comments appeared to target Trump’s recent approach to tariffs, which has involved imposing, changing and withdrawing trade measures at different times. De Wever warned that such uncertainty can create problems for businesses and international trade. He also stressed the importance of open markets and stronger economic partnerships.

India-EU Trade Deal Could Act As ‘Structural Buffer’- Belgian PM

Talking about India-EU Free Trade Agreement, De Wever said it can help protect both sides from unilateral tariffs and economic pressure. He described the agreement as a potential “structural buffer" that could strengthen the resilience of the Indian and European economies. He further emphasised that India and Belgium are both open trading economies and cannot afford to isolate themselves from global markets.

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