EU announces new tariff retaliation against Trump and files lawsuit against the US
As negotiations with the Trump administration continue, the European Commission is now preparing a new countermeasure in case efforts to persuade the U.S. president to halt tariffs on European goods fail.
On Thursday, the Commission identified U.S. goods worth €95 billion that could be subject to tariffs. At the same time, the EU is launching a WTO case against the United States.
That’s according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
- The EU remains fully committed to finding negotiated outcomes with the U.S., she said.
- At the same time, we are continuing to prepare for all scenarios, and the consultation launched today will support us in this necessary work.
Von der Leyen still believes a solution can be reached “that benefits consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.”
However, if no deal is reached, the EU aims to have a response ready when Trump’s 90-day tariff pause expires.
A senior official in the European Commission emphasized that the list is preliminary.
The EU Commission will now consult stakeholders, such as businesses, about the list.
This is to ensure that the EU does not unnecessarily hurt European companies with the countermeasure to Trump, as the official puts it.
- An agreement with the U.S. remains our top priority. I want to underline that, the official said.
The Commission will spend the next four weeks conducting consultations and then present a revised list based on the feedback it receives.
That revised list will be submitted to the EU member states, who will decide whether to impose tariffs on the selected American goods.
- So far, we’ve seen strong support from the member states—including from heads of state and government—for delivering a robust response to the U.S. I expect the same this time, the senior official added.
/ritzau/
