The European Union has approved its first retaliatory measures in response to the United States’ tariffs on EU steel and aluminum imports. Following several weeks of consultations between the European Commission and various industry sectors, the EU has decided to impose 25% tariffs on a wide range of US products, including almonds, orange juice, poultry, soybeans, steel and aluminum, tobacco, and yachts.
These measures mark Europe’s first formal response in the broader trade war initiated by US President Donald Trump, targeting global trade partners. The product list, previously seen by Euronews, was the subject of intense lobbying from EU member states concerned about potential backlash from the US.
France, Ireland, and Italy successfully lobbied to remove Bourbon whiskey from the list of targeted products, fearing it would provoke the US to impose a 200% tariff on European alcohol.
The final list of US products affected by the EU’s tariffs has not yet been made public.
The volume of US imports affected by these EU tariffs is expected to be slightly lower than the volume of EU exports hit by the US tariffs. The US duties on European steel and aluminum, which took effect on March 12, impact exports worth €26 billion annually. In contrast, the EU’s retaliatory measures are expected to target about €22 billion worth of US products annually.
To give room for potential negotiations, the implementation timeline has been extended: the EU tariffs will be rolled out between April 15 and December 1.
These measures are only the first step in the EU’s response to the ongoing trade war. The Trump administration has already imposed 25% tariffs on EU aluminum and steel and threatened 25% tariffs on EU cars, along with a 20% “reciprocal” tariff on all EU imports. Around 70% of EU exports to the US are affected by these actions.
The European Commission announced on Tuesday that it is working on a second package of retaliatory measures, expected to be presented early next week.
