EU Says It's Planning Retaliation for US Steel, Aluminum Tariffs
The EU this week said it plans to retaliate against President Donald Trump’s decision to increase tariffs on steel and aluminum. “Unjustified tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered,” European Commission President Ursula Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “They will trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures.”
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Von der Leyen didn’t specify what kind of countermeasures the EU would impose, only saying “I deeply regret” Trump’s tariff decision. “Tariffs are taxes -- bad for business, worse for consumers,” she said. “The EU will act to safeguard its economic interests. We will protect our workers, businesses and consumers.”
Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s trade and economic security chief, also said the EU is mulling a response. “We are currently assessing the scope of the measures announced overnight and will be responding in a firm and proportionate way by counter measures,” he told Parliament this week, according to a copy of his prepared remarks.
Countermeasures are a “way to protect the European interest but it is not our preferred scenario,” he added. “We remain committed to constructive dialogue. We stand ready for negotiations, and to find mutually beneficial solutions where possible.”