World

Italy economy minister says concerned about looming trade war

Published January 25, 2018 Updated January 25, 2018 04:13pm

"What I am more concerned about is not so much the possibility of a currency war, I am much more concerned about the possibility of a looming trade war," Padoan told Reuters at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Earlier on Thursday, US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin played down his previous comments on the dollar, which had sent the US currency reeling the day before.

Asked whether he was worried by what Mnuchin's original comments, Padoan replied, "There is a concern if this goes beyond what is acceptable, but I am not so much concerned."

Padoan added that he respected Britain's decision to leave the European Union, but said a country was either a member of the bloc or it was not, and "ambiguous conditions in between are not acceptable".

 

Copyright Reuters, 2018