Employees of the German manufacturer Steel Salzgitter AG are standing in front of the stove at the plant in Salzgitter, Germany, March 1, 2018.
Fabian Bimmer Reuters
The European Union reacted quickly to the president of the USA Donald Trump25% of tariffs for the import of steel and aluminum, which came into force on Wednesday, retaliation with your own criminal remedies It is said that they were needed to protect consumers and companies.
The White House confirmed the duties – which will affect Canada, Australia, the EU and others – at the end of Tuesday, but said that Trump no longer planned to raise tariffs to Metals from Canada to 50%.
The EU replied quickly, saying that he would impose counter tariffs for EUR 26 billion (28.33 billion dollars) American goods from April.
The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday told reporters that the EU must “act to protect enterprises and consumers.”
“We deeply regret this measure (by the USA). Tariffs are taxes, are bad for business, and what is worse for consumers, they interfere with supply chains, bring uncertainty for the economy, jobs, prices are increased and nobody needs it, no side needs it. ” She said during a press conference.
She noticed that the commercial ties between the USA and the EU are “the largest in the world,” said von der Leyen, and the relationship brought “prosperity and security of millions of people”, as well as creating jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.
The two -part EU approach will cause that previously suspended tariffs imposed on EUR 8 billion of American exports and a lot of new remedies for 18 billion euros in the von der Leyen traffic previously described as “strong but proportional.”
“We will always remain open to negotiations” She added in a statement.
The EU stated that the tariffs will affect EU exports up to EUR 26 billion (28.3 billion) of EU exports, which apply to industrial steel and aluminum, other partially finished steel and aluminum products, as well as their derivative commercial products, such as machines and knots.
Growing tensions
The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen takes part in a press conference after a special peak of European Union leaders in order to discuss Ukraine and European defense in Brussels, Belgium on March 6, 2025.
Stephanie Lecocq Reuters
Unlike Mexico, Canada and China, EU-Origin products were not affected by Trump's tariffs until they came into force of steel and aluminum duties.
The tensions between Washington and Brussels have been ready since the inauguration of Trump in January, when the White House leader immediately signaled his intention to apply tariffs on the block.
“They really took advantage of us,” Trump said at the meeting of the office on February 26, adding: “They don't accept our cars, they basically do not accept our agricultural products. They use all kinds of reasons why not. And we accept everything. “
One of Trump's biggest mistakes are US trade deficits with many key trading partners, including Canada and the EU.
The European Commission data show that the EU had a commercial surplus of EUR 155.8 billion (159.6 billion dollars) from the USA to goods in 2023, but carried out a deficit of EUR 104 billion. In general, trade in goods and services in the EU in 2023 was worth EUR 1.6 trillion (USD 1.68 trillion), According to the EU.
Machines and vehicles constitute the largest part of EU exports to the USA according to the product group, followed by chemicals, other produced goods as well as medicinal and pharmaceutical products.
– Katrina Bishop from CNBC and Amala Balakrishner contributed to this story.