More Fuel To Tariff Fire! EU Hits Back with Tariffs on $23 Billion of U.S. Goods
EU Fires Back: $23 Billion in Tariffs Hit US Goods Over Trump’s Metal Levies
The European Union struck back at the United States on Wednesday, greenlighting retaliatory tariffs on $23 billion in U.S. goods to counter President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, enacted in March.
The EU, America’s biggest trade partner, branded the U.S. move “unjustified and damaging,” warning of harm to both economies and global trade.
The EU’s tariffs will roll out in phases—starting April 15, then May 15, and December 1—though the European Commission hasn’t yet listed the targeted goods.
The 27-nation bloc, while pushing for a negotiated fix, insists any deal must be balanced. “We prefer outcomes that benefit both sides,” the Commission stated, eyeing a truce in the escalating tariff war.
This salvo hits just a sliver of the $1.8 trillion U.S.-EU annual trade, a daily $4.8 billion juggernaut dubbed the world’s top commercial tie. Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen’s zero-for-zero tariff pitch on cars and industrial goods got a cold shoulder from Trump, who’s doubled down with a 20% blanket levy on all EU exports.
The EU’s keeping it surgical, targeting select goods to pressure Washington without sparking all-out retaliation. A broader response to Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs looms, potentially hitting U.S. tech and services.
France’s Economic Minister Eric Lombard, addressing Paris lawmakers, hinted at a muscular next step: “We’ll use strong measures to force fair talks, protecting all our sectors.” The transatlantic trade clash is heating up—and the stakes are sky-high.
