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Article snippet: MORE is defending his plans to levy billions of tariffs on the nation's closest trading partners even as allies retaliate one-by-one. Trump and his top administration officials remain steadfast on his protectionist trade policies, arguing that growing trade deficits prove the the United States has been losing on the global stage for years. The United States has levied hefty steel and aluminum tariffs for national security reasons on all but a handful of countries, hit China with duties over the alleged theft of intellectual property and is contemplating another round of taxes on imported cars. The tariffs have rocked the relationships with close allies such as Canada, Mexico and the European Union, all of which have retaliated, pushing the world's top economies to the brink of a global trade war. Rutte's response was curt: "No. It's not positive. We have to work something out." Trump said that the U.S. will continue meeting with EU officials as they seek a deal moving forward. On Sunday, however, Trump had said that U.S. allies such as the EU are “as bad as China” on trade adding that "it's terrible what they do to us." The EU recently imposed $3.2 billion in tariffs on iconic American goods such as bourbon, jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles in response to the steel and aluminum tariffs. Trump says he is using Section 232 of a trade law that he argues is needed to protect national security. Allies argue though that they aren't national security threats and... Link to the full article to read more