Tariff war to end within months, PM says

The matter of the tariff war should be “left to the experts”, the prime minister said, “while our attention and energy ought to be directed to Ukraine’s EU membership”.

In an interview with public radio, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said the ongoing tariff war was a “tactical matter” and would end within months.

PM Orbán noted that United States President Donald Trump had pledged before the election to reshape global trade and better position America with its trading partners.

He said the Americans would reach agreements with everyone on an individual basis, resulting in a new balance, adding that the process would take “1-2 months”. He said the tariff war would soon become a “tariff peace” that would benefit Hungary.

PM Orbán said the significance of the tariff war was “well behind” that of the war in Ukraine and the question of Ukraine’s European Union membership, as that would be on the agenda “for many years” and could “ruin” Hungary.

The matter of the tariff war should be “left to the experts”, the prime minister said, “while our attention and energy ought to be directed to Ukraine’s EU membership”.