BRUSSELS — EU member nations rallied on Wednesday to endorse a set of retaliatory tariffs amounting to $23 billion in reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum. As the EU—considered the United States’ largest trading partner—criticized the U.S. measures, labeling them “unjustified and damaging.”
These new tariffs will be enacted progressively, with some beginning on April 15, others on May 15, and the final batch on December 1. The EU Commission has yet to disclose which specific goods will be affected by these tariffs.
Despite the move, members of the 27-nation bloc reiterated their preference for a negotiated settlement to address trade disagreements. “The EU considers U.S. tariffs unjustified and damaging, causing economic harm to both sides, as well as the global economy,” asserted the EU’s executive commission in an official statement. “The EU has stated its clear preference to find negotiated outcomes with the U.S., which would be balanced and mutually beneficial.”
The products targeted constitute a mere fragment of the 1.6 trillion euros ($1.8 trillion) in annual trade between the U.S. and the EU, which facilitates the exchange of approximately 4.4 billion euros in goods and services daily across the Atlantic—a link termed by the European Commission as “the most important commercial relationship in the world.”
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, extended an offer to Trump for a zero-for-zero tariff deal on industrial goods, including automobiles. However, President Trump has expressed dissatisfaction, deeming this proposal insufficient to meet American concerns.
Trump’s expansion of tariffs on steel and aluminum was initiated in March.
In a bid to apply political pressure while avoiding broader economic repercussions, the EU has focused on a smaller list of goods, aiming to deter a large-scale escalation of reciprocal tariffs.
Simultaneously, the EU is formulating a strategy to counteract Trump’s sweeping 20% tariff on all European goods, which is part of his comprehensive “reciprocal” tariff plan targeting global trade partners. This response may include measures impacting U.S. tech companies, service sectors, and trade in goods.
Eric Lombard, France’s Economic Minister, highlighted that the secondary package “will take account not only of European imports, but also of other ways in which we can respond.” Addressing lawmakers in the National Assembly in Paris, Lombard elaborated, stating, “The idea is that, with these extremely strong, extremely powerful measures, we can get to the negotiating table on an equal footing, so that both sides of these duties can be lowered and all our economic sectors protected.”