Multiple countries mulling response plans for U.S. tariffs hike

The governments of multiple countries have said they are mulling plans in response to possible new U.S. tariff hike, as U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he will raise the new global tariff to 15 percent, one day after he announced a 10 percent worldwide duty following a heavy blow from the Supreme Court.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday that he will travel to Washington, D.C. over a week later to hold talks with Trump on the issue.

Merz emphasized that it will be made clear to the U.S. side that tariffs are harmful to all parties, especially to the countries that are taxed, and that American consumers will eventually foot the bill.

He said that following the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court against Trump's tariff policy, the burden on German enterprises is expected to ease, but it does not seem to shake the U.S. tariffs on industries such as automobiles, steel and aluminum.

Merz ‌said he will closely coordinate with other EU ‌countries ahead of his trip to Washington. He will stress the tariffs are harming the U.S. Merz also warned of ‌the "poison" of more uncertainty.

Nicolas Forissier, minister delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, said his country is in consultation with other EU member states and the European Commission -- the executive arm of the 27-nation EU -- regarding the issue.

He said the EU has the tools to hit back. When necessary, the EU can employ measures including anti-coercive instruments, such as export controls, service tariffs, and the exclusion of U.S. companies from participating in EU procurement contracts.

In addition, the EU still has a suspended countermeasure plan available for use involving over 90 billion euros worth of U.S. goods, Forissier said.

The Financial Times quoted French officials saying the EU response may include options such as the "trade bazooka", an anti-coercion instrument that could affect U.S. tech companies.

In Seoul, the presidential office of the Republic of Korea (ROK) said it convened a meeting on Saturday to discuss response plans.

The ROK government stated that it will closely monitor the additional tariff measures and related developments by the U.S. side, and maintain cooperation with the relevant economic groups and associations, to ensure timely communication of relevant information with enterprises.

At the same time, the ROK will continue to hold consultations with the U.S. side to ensure that the outcomes of bilateral agreements and the conditions for exports to the U.S. are not affected, it said.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday morning in a 6-3 vote that Trump's tariff policy under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act was illegal.

Infuriated by the ruling, Trump signed an order imposing a 10 percent tariff on imports from all countries hours later.

Multiple countries mulling response plans for U.S. tariffs hike

Russia said on Saturday that its forces had seized control of a settlement and struck Ukrainian transportation and energy infrastructure facilities, while Ukraine reported, on the same day, that its forces had launched attacks on a Russian military-industrial factory over the past 24 hours.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in its daily report that over the past day that Russian forces had taken control of one settlement in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

Russian troops struck Ukrainian military transportation and energy infrastructure facilities, and destroyed one transport-loading vehicle of the U.S.-made multiple launch rocket system HIMARS and multiple launchers of Flamingo long-range cruise missiles, according to the report.

Russian air defense systems intercepted one guided bomb, seven HIMARS rockets, five Flamingo missiles, and 172 fixed-wing drones, the ministry said.

On the same day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that during the past night, Ukraine's Missile Forces and Artillery units launched multiple Flamingo cruise missile attacks on a military-industrial factory in Russia's Udmurt Republic.

Ukrainian forces struck a natural gas processing plant in Russia's Samara region, and Russian military targets including fuel depots in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, the Ukrainian side said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed decrees to sanction Russia's "shadow fleet," and entities and individuals serving Russia's military industry, the Ukrainian president's official website reported Saturday.

The decrees were signed to enact decisions of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said the report.

One of the decisions aims to counter Russia's "shadow fleet," involving 225 ship captains related to exporting Russian petroleum products.

Those sanctioned include citizens of Russia, India and the Philippines. Most of the vessels involved have already been placed under sanctions by the European Union, the United States, Britain, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Another package of sanctions was imposed on 46 Russian citizens, two Iranian citizens, and 44 Russian companies servicing Russia's military-industrial complex, according to the report.

Zelensky said Saturday that the Ukrainian side will do everything necessary so that the next round of negotiations between Ukraine, the United States and Russia can deliver results for Ukraine and peace.

Ukraine will by no means stand in the way of peace, he said in a video address.

Zelensky announced that his meetings with European partners are scheduled for next week.

The delegations from Ukraine, the United States and Russia held the latest round of talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb 17-18, with no breakthrough on key issues.

Russia reports strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, Ukraine claims hitting Russian munitions factory