Brussels - Saba:
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warned that the escalating dispute over tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump could have a detrimental impact on the global economy.
The official said on Friday: "If we go into a real trade war, trade will be significantly damaged, and this will have serious consequences... for growth and prices around the world, particularly in the United States."
She added: "The US president's decisions and counter-decisions are cause for concern and require extreme caution," adding that they "also create a level of uncertainty we have not seen for a long time."
Since taking office last January, Trump has implemented a program of selective tariffs, raising tensions that threaten to spark a trade war. "Any trade war will harm the global economy," Lagarde said, noting that Brussels has "no choice" but to respond to the US measures.