BRUSSELS – The European Union announced on March 13th that it will impose counter-tariffs on €26 billion worth of US goods, escalating a global trade war sparked by US tariffs on steel and aluminum.The European Commission stated the move is in direct response to US President Donald Trump’s increased tariffs of 25% on all steel and aluminum imports, which took effect on the same day.
Despite the escalation, the EU executive indicated its willingness to negotiate, emphasizing that higher tariffs are in no one’s interest.
The European Commission confirmed that it will terminate its current suspension of tariffs on US products on April 1st, with the counter-tariffs fully implemented by April 13th.
“The counter measures we take today are strong but proportionate. As the United States are applying tariffs worth $28 billion, we are responding with counter measures worth €26 billion,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told reporters. “The EU must act to protect its consumers and business.”
The suspended tariffs currently apply to a range of US products, including boats, bourbon, and motorbikes.The EU also announced it will initiate a two-week consultation period to select additional product categories to be targeted.
The new measures will target approximately €18 billion in goods, with the overall goal of ensuring that the total value of EU measures aligns with the increased value of trade impacted by the new US tariffs.
“In the meantime, we will always remain open to negotiations,” von der Leyen stated. “We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geoeconomic and political uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with such tariffs. We are ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue.”
The proposed target products for the counter-tariffs include a wide array of industrial and agricultural goods, such as steel and aluminum, textiles, home appliances, plastics, poultry, beef, eggs, dairy, sugar, and vegetables.
