EU to respond to US tariffs with countermeasures

The European Union is seeking to respond unified in the coming days to the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Member states are likely to agree on a first set of countermeasures targeting US imports worth up to $28 billion.

This move joins China and Canada in imposing countermeasures on the United States, a rapid escalation that many fear could lead to a global trade war, potentially making goods more expensive for billions of consumers and tipping global economies into recession.

The 27-member European Union faces 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum, and car imports, along with 20% “countermeasures” effective Wednesday on most other goods. The new US tariffs cover about 70% of EU exports to the United States, which totaled €532 billion ($585 billion) last year, with the possibility of expanding the tariffs to include copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and timber.