The European Commission, EU, on Monday said it would react to protect its interests after US President Donald Trump announced impending metals tariffs, stating that it would not respond until it had clarification of the measures.
Newspot recalls that Trump said on Sunday that he would introduce new 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, in another major escalation of his trade policy overhaul.
The EU said it had not received any official notification regarding additional tariffs on its goods and would not respond to broad announcements without details or written clarification.
“The EU sees no justification for the imposition of tariffs on its exports. We will react to protect the interests of European businesses, workers and consumers from unjustified measures,” the Commission said in a statement.
Newspot reports that Trump’s move, if confirmed, would mirror his action in his first term, when he imposed 25% tariffs on steel from many countries and 10% tariffs on aluminium.
The EU responded in 2018 with an initial set of tariffs on 2.8 billion euros worth of US goods, including bourbon and Harley Davidson motorcycles. It planned to add a further 3.6 billion euros of US goods after three years.
