As of next week, special levies should use US imports: the EU countries have agreed on a list of goods that are occupied by tariffs between ten and 25 percent. Products are added during the year.
In the trade dispute with US President Donald Trump, the EU countries decided on US goods. Representatives of the Member States blessed a list of US products in Brussels, which will gradually be occupied with tariffs in the coming weeks, as the Commission announced. 26 of the 27 EU countries voted for the measures, only Hungary was against it.
The first tariffs should take effect from next Tuesday. The EU had already introduced surcharges in Trump’s first term in response to its customs policy. However, after an agreement with the US President Joe Biden ruling from 2021 to 2025.
The EU is now expanding these measures significantly. For example, they concern Harley-Davidson motorcycles and jeans. All in all, goods worth around 21 billion euros and thus less than 26 billion euros that are incurred in the USA for steel and aluminum from Europe.
Customs to many foods at the earliest from mid -May
Further counter -tariffs will then be collected in mid -May and the end of the year – this also applies to food such as beef, poultry or citrus fruits such as oranges or grapefruit.
Additional tariffs for nuts and soybeans are to come in early December. Contrary to original plans, there are no additional tariffs on American whiskey and other alcoholic beverages. There was also no taxes on dairy products.
EU emphasized Willingness to negotiate
The EU Commission emphasized: “These countermeasures can be suspended at any time if the United States agree to a fair and balanced negotiation result.” The EU “clearly prefers to find a balanced and advantageous negotiating solution for both sides”.
But it is currently not in sight. Trump had granted a compromise proposal from the EU for the abolition of all mutual tariffs to industrial goods.
EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic has negotiated with US Minister of Trade Howard Lutnick several times in recent weeks, but with no result. The hope in Brussels is that time is working for Europe. This hope is based on the fact that the course slumps in the stock exchanges and the growing criticism from the US economy further increase pressure on Trump and persuade the president to correct his course. However, nothing still indicates that this calculation will work.
More measures next week?
The reaction that has now been decided concerns the special taxes of the USA on steel and aluminum that have already come into force. The Commission in Brussels could present new plans at the beginning of the next week. Then it is about a reaction to the flat -rate tariffs that Trump announced for almost all countries last week. The United States has been taking imports from the EU with surcharges of 20 percent since this morning.
For a European answer to this, Brussels must consider where the US trade is still sensitive. For this, restrictions on US services are considered. The EU could prove services from US digital groups with taxes.
With information by Jakob Mayr, ARD studio Brussels
