India, March 12 -- US President Donald Trump vowed to respond to the European Union's (EU) retaliatory tariffs on select American goods as he defended his decision to impose 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminium from all trading partners.

"We've been abused for a long time, and we will be abused no longer," Trump said during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.

The US president said that he will be willing to grant "very little flexibility" to trading partners once his tariffs are implemented. Pointing out again to the "massive" trade deficit, Trump said his tariff policies will "even that out."

Trump also said his decision to provoke a tariff war with America's biggest trade partners will restore "fairness" even a...