Catenaa, Thursday, April 10, 2025- European Union (EU) countries are set to approve their first wave of retaliatory tariffs against the United States on Wednesday, directly responding to President Donald Trump’s sweeping trade levies that took full effect the same day.
The EU’s countermeasures target US steel and aluminum tariffs and include new 25% duties on American imports such as motorcycles, poultry, fruit, wood, clothing and dental floss. The European Commission said the tariffs—impacting about $23 billion worth of US goods—will roll out in three stages: April 15, May 16 and December 1.
The bloc’s retaliation comes amid escalating global trade tensions. Trump’s policy, which slaps a 104% tariff on Chinese goods and 20% on nearly all EU imports, has already drawn swift pushback from China and Canada. The EU’s targeted response, however, does not yet include countermeasures against broader tariffs on cars and other goods.
The 27-nation bloc faces US tariffs of 25% on metals and automobiles and is assessing how to address Trump’s broader duties. A vote among EU trade experts on Wednesday afternoon is expected to confirm the Commission’s plan, barring a highly unlikely qualified majority rejection.
Earlier proposals to target US dairy and alcoholic beverages were dropped after pushback from France and Italy, following Trump’s threat to impose a 200% duty on EU wine and spirits.
The tit-for-tat measures signal deepening rifts in global trade, with Beijing vowing to “fight to the end” as more countries prepare to respond.
