09 April 2025 , 16:36
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The European Union will fight back against Donald Trump’s tariffs on the trade bloc with three rounds of import taxes on US products.
In total, the measures will apply to around €20.9 billion in trade from the US, the equivalent of just over £18bn.
This is the EU’s retaliation against the 25% steel and aluminium tariffs announced by the US President, which came into effect on March 12.
No response has yet been agreed by the 27 countries in the Union for the massive additional 20% tariffs on all of its exports to the US.
That measure came into effect this morning, along with an array of further punishing tariffs on countries around the world who Trump considers the worst offenders for taking advantage of the US on trade.
Chinese imports were slammed with a mammoth 104% tax, hiked up dramatically by the US President after Beijing responded with its own retaliatory tariffs.
As a result of the escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies, US imports to China will be subject to an 84% tariff as of midnight tonight Chinese time.
The European Commission confirmed this afternoon US products like motorcycles and soybeans will be among those subject to tariffs in coming weeks.
In a statement, the executive body said: ‘The EU considers U.S. tariffs unjustified and damaging, causing economic harm to both sides, as well as the global economy.
‘The EU has stated its clear preference to find negotiated outcomes with the U.S., which would be balanced and mutually beneficial.’
According to the BBC, the €20.9 billion package will come in three rounds: €3.9bn will be affected from next Tuesday, then €13.5bn of goods on May 15, before a further €3.5bn from December 1.
Soon after the sweeping tariffs were announced last week, it was revealed the EU had offered ‘zero-for-zero’ tariffs on cars and industrial goods.
But Trump dismissed the suggestion, instead saying: ‘We have a deficit with the European Union of $350 billion and it’s gonna disappear fast.
‘One of the ways that that can disappear easily and quickly is they’re gonna have to buy our energy from us… they can buy it, we can knock off $350 billion in one week. They have to buy and commit to buy a like amount of energy.’
Politics Editor