The EU has announced a decisive response to the US tariffs that came into force this Wednesday on steel and aluminum imports. As the responsible European Commission announced in the morning, EU extracölle should be due again in a first step from April on the import of American products such as bourbon whiskey, jeans, motorcycles, boats and peanut butter. Further countermeasures are then planned for mid-April after coordination with the EU member states.
They are supposed to meet companies that sell American agricultural products such as poultry, beef, certain seafood, nuts, eggs, dairy products, sugar and vegetables. In addition, there should also be EU extracelles on other industrial products such as steel and aluminum products, textiles, leather goods, household appliances, tools, plastics and wood products.
According to the EU Commission, the new US tariffs of 25 percent exports from the EU with a total value of EUR 26 billion meet, which corresponds to around five percent of the EU’s total goods. “Based on the current import flows, this will result in US importers: inside the inside of additional import duties has to pay up to six billion euros,” it said.
Exports of goods worth 26 billion euros
The EU counter-measures should now compensate for this. According to commission information, US goods exports worth 26 billion euros would be affected by the planned EU reactions. In the first step, goods worth around 8 billion euros are said to go, in the second by goods worth around 18 billion euros.
“The European Union must act to protect consumers and companies,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The countermeasures that are taken are strong but proportionate.
The top German politician sharply criticized US President Donald Trump. “These tariffs disturb the supply chains. They create uncertainty for the economy. Jobs are at stake. The prices will increase – in Europe and in the United States, “she said.
EU sees scope for negotiations
At the same time, von der Leyen emphasized that she was still ready to work on a negotiation solution with the US government. “We are firmly convinced that in a world full of geopolitical and economic uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with tariffs,” she said. She commissioned trade commissioner to resume his talks with the United States in order to develop better solutions.
Jeans could be more expensive
US President Donald Trump had already ordered the import of steel and aluminum products in his first term from 2017 to 2021 and justified this “with interests of national security”.
At that time, the EU was already reacting to US products such as Bourbon Whiskey, Motorcycles and Jeans. In autumn 2021, however, the EU then agreed with the government of Trump’s democratic successor Joe Biden on a standstill agreement, which resulted in the customs duties. After his re -election, Trump now goes back to the confrontation course. He has also announced that he wanted to impose new tariffs on cars and other goods from the EU.
According to the EU Commission, there will now be consultation with interest groups for the new planned EU supplements on US products. Then the Member States should be invited to approve the proposed measures before they are adopted. According to Commission President of the Leyen, the entry into force is planned for April 13.