EU announces new countermeasures in trade war with US

This article was last updated on May 8, 2025

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EU announces new countermeasures in trade war with US

The European Commission is in danger of introducing taxes on various American goods that together are worth 95 billion euros. The committee wants to introduce those charges when negotiations with the Americans do not yield anything about scrapping import duties.

The committee has drawn up a list with goods, which the EU wants to raise import tariffs. It concerns agricultural products such as nuts, fruit and olive oil. There are also planes on the list, just like cars and car parts, electrical equipment, cameras, jukeboxes and microphones.

At the same time as the presentation of the list, the European Commission also announced a procedure against the US in the World Trade Organization. According to the EU, US taxes are a gross violation of the international trade rules.

EU correspondent Ardy Voting:

“The EU is raising the pressure towards Donald Trump. The proposal is clearly a warning to the Americans that the EU is willing to take strong countermeasures if there is no deal.

The European Commission hopes that the measures are not necessary, because a trade war is bad for everyone, is the firm conviction here in Brussels. But a counter -reaction is therefore prepared.

Until now, it appears to be difficult for the EU to achieve real negotiations with the Americans. The trade commissioner was in Washington several times, but so far without results.

During the Pope’s funeral, committee chairman Ursula von der Leyen spoke very briefly with the US president. That was the first time since the start of his second presidency. They agreed to meet again, but something concrete did not result in that commitment. “

Negotiations

At the beginning of last month, Donald Trump announced import duties of 20 percent on all products that the US imports from the EU. Shortly thereafter, the US President pampered those charges for a period of 90 days. That time had to be used for closing trading deals and lowering or deleting taxes.

But for a very large part of all goods that go to the US, an import levy of 10 percent still applies. For cars, steel and aluminum, the American levy is even higher: 25 percent. That levy is also still in force.

As a counter -reaction, the EU also drawn up a list last month with goods that the EU wants to levy import duties. Those taxes were then postponed with 90 days. Today’s list is now being added as extra pressure on the US, to really negotiate seriously. “