The European Commission said yesterday that it would react to protect the EU's interests following US President Donald Trump's announcement of additional tariffs on metals, but that it would not respond until it received clarification of the measures.
Trump said on Sunday that he would impose new tariffs of 25% on all steel and aluminum imports into the US, marking another major escalation of his trade policy.
The European Commission, as reported by Reuters, stated that it had not received official notification of additional tariffs on EU goods and that it would not react to “general announcements” without specific details or written clarification. “The EU sees no justification for imposing tariffs on its exports. We will react to protect the interests of European companies, workers and consumers from unjustified measures,” the Commission said in a statement.
An EC spokesman said that none of the potential measures outlined by the Trump administration, including increasing tariffs to align with those of other countries, were justified.
The United States imports the most steel from Canada, Brazil and Mexico, followed by South Korea and Vietnam, the Guardian reports. Canada is by far the largest supplier of primary aluminum to the United States, accounting for 79% of total imports in the first 11 months of 2024. Doug Ford, the premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, accused the US president of “constantly shifting goals and continuous chaos” that could threaten the economy.
Amid a broader backlash against Trump's economic policies, French President Emmanuel Macron warned in an interview broadcast Sunday that he was prepared to confront Trump directly on the issue of tariffs. "I've done it before and I'll do it again," he said.
Macron told CNN that the EU should not be a "top priority" for the US, stressing: "Is the EU your first problem? No, I don't think so. Your first problem is China, so you should focus on that."
Macron stressed that tariffs would harm not only European economies, but also the US, given the level of economic integration. “This means that imposing tariffs in many sectors will increase costs and create inflation in the US. Is that what your citizens want? I’m not sure,” he said.
German Economy Minister Robert Haber said yesterday: “Europe must and can react unitedly and decisively to unilateral trade restrictions. And we are ready for that.”
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK had not yet seen the details of the proposed tariffs but was prepared for all possible outcomes. Industry association UK Steel said any tariffs would be a “devastating blow” to the sector, damaging exports of high-quality steel to the US, Britain’s second-largest export market after the EU.
Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on steel from many countries and 10% on aluminum during his first term. For the EU, this included exports worth 6,4 billion euros ($6,6 billion).
The EU responded in 2018 with an initial set of tariffs on €2,8 billion worth of US goods, including bourbon and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. It planned to add additional tariffs on €3,6 billion worth of US products three years later. By then, Joe Biden had become US president, and the two sides had agreed to suspend the US tariffs and the EU countermeasures - the former until the end of this year, and the latter until March 31.
After Trump announced plans to impose additional tariffs on metal imports, shares of US steel and aluminum producers rose sharply yesterday, while their European counterparts saw a decline.
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