India, April 4 -- Top economists warned on Thursday that US President Donald Trump's 25% reciprocal tariffs on German car imports from the European Union might bring back trade barriers of the pre-World War 2 era as the bloc contemplates its retaliatory response with an eye on US tech giants.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had slammed Trump's decision as "fundamentally wrong" and said that the EU could retaliate by targeting American tech companies.

"This is an attack on a trade order that has created prosperity all over the globe, a trade order that is essentially the result of American efforts," Scholz said.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Thursday also hinted at similar retaliation and said that every option was on the table...