President Trump forced to clarify Oval Office cargo comments

US President Donald Trump has been forced to correct comments he made about trade prohibitions yesterday during an Oval Office address concerning the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump announced a ban on all travel from the Schengen area of Europe for the next 30 days, with exemptions for US citizens, in an effort to “keep new cases from entering our shores”. This excludes the UK and Ireland.

He went on to say that the ban would also apply to cargo.

“There will be exemptions for Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings, and these prohibitions will not only apply to the tremendous amount of trade and cargo, but various other things as we get approval,” Trump said. “Anything coming from Europe to the United States is what we are discussing.”

However, the President later corrected himself on Twitter, saying that it was “very important for all countries & businesses to know that trade will in no way be affected by the 30-day restriction on travel from Europe. The restriction stops people not goods.”

Trump blamed the EU for failing to take the same precautions as the US in restricting travel from China and other high-risk countries.

Source: BBC News, The New York Times

Header image: Raúl Nájera