EU Threatens Retaliation Over US Tariffs on Metal Imports
On Monday, the European Commission confirmed it would respond to protect EU interests after U.S. President Donald Trump announced impending tariffs on metal imports. However, it stated it would not act until it received a detailed or written clarification of the measures.
Trump declared on Sunday that he would impose a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, marking another escalation in his foreign trade policy.
The Commission noted that it has not received any official notification regarding additional tariffs on EU goods and will not respond to “vague announcements” without specifics or written clarification.
In a statement, as reported by Reuters, the EU said, “The European Union sees no reason for imposing tariffs on its exports. We will respond to protect the interests of European companies, workers, and consumers from unjustified actions.”
If Trump’s move is confirmed, it would echo a similar action in his first term when he imposed a 25% tariff on steel imports from many countries and a 10% tariff on aluminum. For the EU, these measures would affect exports worth about 6.4 billion euros (6.6 billion dollars).
In 2018, the EU responded with an initial package of tariffs on U.S. goods worth 2.8 billion euros, with plans to add another 3.6 billion euros’ worth three years later.
By that time, Joe Biden had succeeded Trump as President, and both the U.S. and EU had agreed to suspend these U.S. tariffs until the end of this year, along with the countermeasures taken by the bloc until March 31.
EU diplomats have indicated that reinstating countermeasures would be logical if Trump moves forward with imposing tariffs on imports.
