On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) commented on US President Donald Trump's latest round of import tariffs and intention to impose them on the EU.
On Saturday, Trump ordered heavy import tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he also "absolutely" intends to impose import tariffs on European goods, adding that EU has treated the United States "very badly". He was apparently referring to the bloc’s large trade surplus with the US, which totalled some 157 billion euros in 2023.
The US imposed import tariffs of 25 percent on Canada and Mexico and 10 percent on China, which are to take effect on Tuesday.
Trump has also said that he plans to impose further import tariffs on oil and gas around 18 February, without naming which countries might be affected.
"Very serious"
Orpo commented on the matter to reporters during a National Coalition Party cruise on Saturday evening.
"This is of course a very serious situation. We have already seen that he is implementing these trade policy threats. But we have not seen any concrete announcement yet [regarding the EU]," Orpo said.
"It is essential now that we in the EU act in a strong, united, decisive manner, coordinate our actions, and consider the negotiation framework," the premier said.
According to Orpo, the issue will be discussed at an informal summit of EU leaders on Monday. He said that the leaders will consider the EU's position and response if such a situation arises.
Mykkänen: LNG deal would undercut climate efforts
Orpo added that the United States is prepared to export large quantities of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe, for example. Europe needs gas, and does not want to import it from Russia.
"This is a good example of how we can balance trade with the United States," Orpo said.
Just before leaving office last week, Orpo’s NCP colleague, former Minister of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkänen, specifically warned against such steps. In an interview with Politico, he argued that signing long-term LNG contracts with Washington would undermine the EU’s climate efforts.
"I encourage all countries to get rid of significant amounts of fossil fuels altogether — and in that sense, [there are] hopefully not any significant deals to be done," he said.
EU countries should "concentrate on getting rid of fossil [fuels] and not find new markets where to buy" it, he added. On Saturday, Mykkänen took over as mayor of Espoo.
Two years ago, Finland began a 10-year lease of a floating LNG terminal from a US firm. It is docked at the southwestern port of Inkoo.