Donald Trump has warned the World Trade Organisation over its mistreatment of the US.

In a meeting with the prime minister from the Netherlands, Trump defended his controversial position on tariffs and trade.

“I hope they change their ways. They have been treating us very badly for many, many years and that’s why we were at a big disadvantage with the WTO,” he said at the White House.

“We’re not planning anything now, but if they don’t treat us properly we will be doing something,” the US President added.

Trump has threatened to impose a 20 percent tariff on all EU-assembled cars, which the European Commission has said is a mistake.

“We’ll spare no effort, be it at the technical or political level, to prevent this from happening,” a spokesman for the commission said.

The American Automotive Policy Council was said that increasing trade tariffs will increase taxes to $90 billion annually when combined with the steel and aluminium tariffs.

Matt Blunt, president of the trade group, said: “Imposing tariffs will increase costs for consumers, lessen consumer choice, lower consumer demand, reduce car and light truck production and sales, lower investment levels, and lead to job losses in the U.S. auto sector.”

At the meeting held in the White House on Monday, the US President added that the US was very close to finalising new trade deals.

Trump said he was “very close to making some very good trade deals – fair trade deals, I don’t want to say good, I want to say fair – fair trade deals for our taxpayers, and for our workers and for our farmers.”

The European Union has sent an 11-page letter to the US warning the President of tariffs on US products if he moves forward with the tariffs on foreign auto vehicles.

“Protective measures would undermine US growth, negatively impact job creation, and not improve the trade balance,” read the letter.