Norway's prime minister criticizes Trump for trade war

Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for the trade war he has launched against countries including China and Norway, saying that China is acting like one of the most prominent defenders of free trade, according to English-language news portal The Local's Norwegian edition. 

Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg. [File Photo: IC]

Solberg made the remarks on Friday in her opening speech at the Conservative national congress in Oslo, where she warned that the historical precedent set by trade wars has been one of regression, wars, and conflict. "Attacks on free trade in recent weeks are therefore cause for concern. It is a great paradox when countries like the U.S. come across as the biggest threat to free trade," she said.

Solberg also said that "China is acting like one of the most prominent defenders [of trade]. A global trade war and increasing protectionism are the last things the world needs now."

The prime minister noted that she was prepared to fight against the trend towards protectionism, and that Norway would pursue free and fair trade under her leadership.

In March the U.S. decided to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum. The tariffs have been applied on imports from countries including China and Norway.