Piraeus’ business sector appears concerned about the effects of the tariff war.
As the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted in a statement, “it is trying to weigh the effects of the first serious signs of the trade war that the US president triggered with his statements about the EU after the imposition of tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.” The Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s statement stated that concerns are now intensifying in all EU-27 countries that see their largest trading partner moving away.
It is noted that a trade war will bring the global economic system to a standstill with many “controversies” in international trade, the supply chain, ocean-going shipping, European and Greek refineries. The port of Piraeus, managed by the Chinese Cosco, is also a point of reference, as it is the main entry gate for imported products from China to Europe, but also an exit for European products destined for international markets.
The members of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, after having proceeded to a first assessment of the impacts on the country’s import, export and transit trade, call on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to safeguard the neutrality of the commercial port of Piraeus from the “tariff war.”
As the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry emphasized, in a period when a new market turmoil would push inflationary pressures upwards, both the European and Greek economies avoid escalating “tariff swaps.” It also noted that the EU, since it is absolutely convinced that low tariffs promote growth and economic stability, must demonstrate a unified stance and not allow its officials to warn that Europe will respond forcefully if targeted by unfair tariffs.
