EU prepares tariffs on US goods in response to Trump's trade policy
Photo: The EU is preparing a response to Trump's tariffs (Getty Images)
The European Union has prepared a list of American goods that may be subject to new tariffs in response to the tariff policy of US President Donald Trump, according to Politico.
On Thursday, the European Commission proposed countermeasures against US tariffs on nearly 100 billion euros of American imports.
Which goods will fall under the new tariffs
The list includes aircraft, passenger cars, medical equipment, chemicals and plastic, and a number of agricultural goods. Bourbon and other strong alcoholic beverages also returned to the list. However, earlier wine-producing countries, such as France and Italy, had pressured the Commission to have them removed from the list.
According to the agency, this is only part of a 200-page list of over 4,800 goods compiled by European trade officials. According to Eurostat, imports of these goods to the EU in 2024 exceeded 109 billion euros. The largest share of this volume is made up of aircraft – over 13 billion, followed by cars – 7 billion.
The EU is also considering restricting exports of scrap metal and chemical products worth 4.4 billion euros.
This list supplements existing countermeasures from the EU, which were introduced after unsuccessful attempts to ease trade tensions with the U.S.
WTO lawsuit and negotiations
At the same time, Brussels plans to file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the so-called reciprocal tariffs introduced by the Trump administration, as well as tariffs on cars and auto parts. It is not yet clear when exactly this process will officially begin.
Despite this, the real goal of the EU remains "negotiated outcomes with the US," stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“At the same time, we continue preparing for all possibilities, and the consultation launched today will help guide us in this necessary work,” von der Leyen noted.
The list of new EU tariffs may still change – until June 10, companies and EU member states are to provide feedback and arguments for removing sensitive goods from the list to avoid retaliatory tariffs from Trump.
Trump’s trade war
On April 2, White House head Donald Trump introduced a minimum additional tariff of 20% on almost all exports from the EU, but a week later lowered it to 10% for 90 days to allow time for dialogue. At the same time, tariffs of 25% on steel, aluminum, and cars from the EU remain in effect.
The EU, in turn, suspended tariffs on American goods worth 21 billion euros. This includes Harley-Davidson motorcycles, poultry meat, and clothing.
According to media reports, Trump’s tariff war will affect about 97% of EU exports to America.
At the same time, according to the media, Brussels may refrain from any retaliatory measures against Trump’s tariffs until the NATO summit, which will take place in June in The Hague, to avoid tensions during the security event.
