PM Mitsotakis Backs U.S. Tariff Pause, Highlights Greek Industrial Growth

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has expressed satisfaction with former U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to temporarily suspend high tariffs on several countries—excluding China—and urged the European Union to seize this window to pursue a mutually beneficial trade deal with the United States.

Speaking during a visit to the Central Greece Industries Association in Oinofyta on Thursday, Mitsotakis said:
“I want to express my satisfaction with the fact that President Trump decided yesterday to temporarily suspend the framework of high tariffs that he had imposed on a number of countries, with the obvious exception of China.”

He went on to encourage EU officials to work toward a broader trade agreement, possibly envisioning a zero-tariff framework between the two economies. “This would facilitate trade between the European Union and the United States and create new opportunities for economic cooperation,” he noted.

The prime minister used the occasion to reaffirm his government's support for Greek industry. “We stand by the industrial sector, recognising its critical contribution to job creation and economic development,” he said. “Our economy is growing rapidly, unemployment is falling, and we want to guide more young people into careers in manufacturing and industry.”

He stressed the importance of aligning industrial needs with workforce development, particularly by equipping workers with new skills required in modern manufacturing. “We are determined to raise investment levels to match the European average, with industry and manufacturing at the forefront of that effort.”

Mitsotakis also highlighted provisions in Greece’s new development law aimed at boosting the industrial sector. These include measures to reduce energy costs, resolve spatial planning issues, streamline export procedures, and upgrade regional infrastructure, especially in Central Greece’s informal industrial zones.

Visit to Intertrade Hellas: A Showcase of Industrial Strength

Later in the day, the prime minister visited Intertrade Hellas, Greece's leading producer of household paper products. Touring the company’s facilities, he discussed recent expansions in production and exports, as well as notable wage increases for employees over the last year and a half.

“This is the goal of our policy,” he emphasised. “We want to see wages and productivity rise, hand-in-hand with falling unemployment.”

The company is currently executing an ambitious €156 million investment plan—the largest of its kind in Europe’s paper manufacturing sector. The investment is projected to erase Greece’s paper product trade deficit, which has persisted for over four decades.

A Human Touch in Schimatari

Concluding his visit in Schimatari, Mitsotakis met with a young disabled basketball player and his coach. The brief conversation touched on the unifying and transformative power of sports, rounding out a day that blended economic priorities with personal connections.

(Source: Amna)