Brussels: The European Union has decided to delay implementing countermeasures in response to the United States’ tariffs on steel and aluminum imports until mid-April, as announced by the European Commission’s Trade Commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, on Thursday. This postponement aims to provide additional time for negotiations between the two economic blocs.
According to Anadolu Agency, Sefcovic explained that the EU intends to synchronize the timing of two sets of measures it has developed to counter the US tariffs on steel and aluminum. The EU’s Committee on International Trade is set to engage with its member states to extend the negotiation period with the US. Should the negotiations fail to produce an agreement, Sefcovic stated that the EU would recalibrate its response, factoring in the reciprocal tariffs that the US plans to introduce on April 2.
Sefcovic emphasized that this strategy would enable the EU to deliver a response that is firm, proportionate, robust, and well-calibrated to the US measures. The US imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports starting March 12, prompting the EU to announce countermeasures amounting to £26 billion ($28.2 billion) on the same day. These countermeasures are scheduled to be implemented in two phases, on April 1 and April 13.
The EU has identified a range of US products that could potentially be subject to retaliatory duties. These include meat, chicken, turkey, milk and cream, nuts, coffee, various fruits and vegetables, alcoholic beverages, chewing gum, electronic cigarettes, whiskey associated with American culture, clothing, hand tools, machinery, and motorcycles. In response, US President Donald Trump declared on March 13 that if a 50% tariff on whiskey produced in the US is not removed soon, a 200% tariff would be imposed on all alcoholic products imported from the EU.