EU member states have approved the first phase of retaliatory tariffs, ranging from 10% to 25%, on U.S. imports. These tariffs, set to take effect next week, target products such as jeans and motorcycles from the U.S., while U.S.-made whiskey and other alcoholic beverages have been excluded from the list.
Further counter-tariffs will be introduced in mid-May and at the end of the year, impacting items like beef, poultry, and citrus fruits, including oranges and grapefruits. Additional tariffs on nuts and soybeans are planned for early December.
The newly approved tariffs are a direct response to the U.S. imposing tariffs on steel and aluminium imports about a month ago. The U.S. measures affect EU exports valued at 26 billion euros (approximately 28.8 billion U.S. dollars).
These new tariffs affect goods worth around 21 billion euros, according to EU sources. The European Union has expressed its preference for resolving the trade conflict through negotiations rather than escalating it further.
Ongoing discussions are also focused on a new set of measures addressing tariffs on cars and nearly all other EU exports to the U.S., recently announced by President Donald Trump. Trump’s tariff policies aim to address perceived trade imbalances, encourage U.S. production, and partially offset tax cuts promised during his election campaign.
