The European executive has announced that it will retaliate if the US tariffs on aluminium and steel are confirmed, as it considers them illegal and counterproductive.
The European Union will react to protect its interests against "illegal and economically counterproductive" tariffs on aluminium and steel if they are confirmed, the Commission said in a statement on Monday.
"The EU sees no justification for imposing tariffs on its exports. We will respond to protect the interests of European businesses, workers and consumers from unjustified measures," the statement said.
"Imposing tariffs would be illegal and economically counterproductive, especially in view of the deeply integrated production chains that the EU and the US have created through transatlantic trade and investment," the EC added.
The US president said on Sunday he would impose a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium imported into the US, without specifying whether European imports would also be affected.
The Commission stated that it had not received any formal notification and would not respond to the notification "without details and written clarification".
Trump has already announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China and has indicated that he will target the EU as well.
The EU claims that trade between it and the US is mutually beneficial, with a goods surplus of €155.8 billion for the Europeans and a services surplus of €104 billion for the Americans.
Aluminium and steel were at the heart of the EU-US trade dispute during Trump's first term. At that time, the US imposed 25% tariffs on European steel and 10% tariffs on aluminium, citing "national security". The EU responded by taxing Bourbon whiskey, Harley-Davidson cars and a range of other products. Under the Biden administration, the tariffs were temporarily lifted, but only until March this year.
euronews/ gnews - RoZ
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