Previously, US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on all imported steel and aluminum last month, which officially took effect on March 12 local time. In response to the tariff, the European Commission announced on the 9th that it would impose a 25% tariff on American products such as soybeans, diamonds, orange juice, poultry, motorcycles, steel, aluminum, tobacco, and other products worth 21 billion euros.
In a statement, the European Commission said, "The EU considers the US tariff unreasonable and destructive, causing economic harm to both sides and the global economy. The EU has made it clear that it hopes for a balanced and mutually beneficial negotiation outcome with the United States."
The EU's countermeasures will be implemented in three rounds. EU Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maros Sefcovic stated that the EU will start imposing the first round of tariffs on US imports from April 15, the second round from May 15, and the final round will take effect in December.
In addition, multiple EU diplomatic officials revealed that only Hungary cast a vote against among the 27 EU member states.
On April 7 local time, Duisburg, Germany, containers at the port. IC Photo
It is worth noting that the EU's measures target the tariffs on steel and aluminum implemented by the Trump administration last month. So far, the EU has not responded to the latest tariff policy of the Trump administration.
Trump previously announced a 20% tariff on all goods imported from the EU, which took effect on April 9 local time, affecting over 380 billion euros worth of EU-made products. Trump also stated that the US would soon announce tariffs on pharmaceutical imports.
Olof Gill, spokesperson for EU trade affairs, said on the 8th that the EC would propose policies regarding these tariffs at the earliest next week. Gill said that the EU would provide member states with a countermeasure plan at the beginning of next week. However, if possible, the EU still prefers to negotiate with the US.
On April 7, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said that Europe had proposed a "zero-for-zero" agreement on the automotive industry "many times" in the past, but the US side "did not respond appropriately." Von der Leyen said, "We prefer to resolve issues through negotiations." She also warned that the European Commission will use "all available tools" for countermeasures when necessary, including an anti-coercion instrument (ACI) launched in 2023 but never triggered, to strike back at US technology, banking, and other service sectors.
Foreign media reports pointed out that so far, the EU has only "hit hard" in response to the US steel and aluminum tariffs. The EU has tried the "carrot and stick" approach to show that it will not bow to Trump's unreasonable demands and also keeps the door open for potential negotiations.
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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7491319925044003328/
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