Europe Plans Counterstrike! World Braces for Trump's Liberation Day Showdown

As Donald Trump’s self-proclaimed “Liberation Day” looms on April 2, 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen fired a salvo Tuesday, warning the U.S. that the EU “holds a lot of cards” in the escalating tariff tussle.

Speaking to EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, she underscored the bloc’s readiness to retaliate against Trump’s promised “reciprocal” tariffs—set to match duties other nations impose on U.S. goods—if pushed to the brink.

Trump’s plan, rolling out Wednesday, aims to unshackle the U.S. from foreign reliance with sweeping levies, including a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum already rattling global markets.

The EU, the world’s largest trade bloc, isn’t flinching. “We didn’t start this,” von der Leyen declared, signaling a $28 billion counterstrike targeting U.S. steel, aluminum, textiles, appliances, and farm goods, slated for mid-April. Yet, she held out an olive branch: “We’d all be better off with a constructive solution.”

Europe’s leverage—its vast market, tech prowess, and trade clout—looms large, but the bloc is playing it cool, waiting to gauge the full impact of Trump’s murky “reciprocal” tariffs.

Von der Leyen lamented the dismay rippling through Europe over the U.S. move, calling the transatlantic bond “the most prosperous trade relationship worldwide.” With all options on the table, from tariffs to tech restrictions, the EU stands poised to flip the script if Trump’s gambit backfires. For now, it’s a high-stakes game of trust—and timing—as Brussels holds its cards close.