US President Trump is serious about tariffs. Brussels is working on countermeasures – but wants to have further discussions with the USA. At the same time, the knowledge is solidified: a closer ally turns away from Europe.
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen reported a few hours after Donald Trump’s “Day of Liberation” from Uzbek Samarkand, where she took part in a summit with Central Asian countries. With a petrified expression, she called the announcement of the US President a difficult blow to the global economy in the early morning.
Von der Leyen promised further countermeasures if negotiations with Washington fail. And after that it looks at the moment.
EU wants to expand the list of customs products
These new EU measures could come in addition to the counter-tariffs, which are already provided for steel and aluminum in response to Donald Trump and are said to take effect from the middle of the month. These are tariffs that the EU had already imposed during Trump’s first term in 2018-on jeans, bourbon whiskey and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The EU Commission is working with the member states to expand this list. In total, it should include measures in volume of 26 billion euros.
In addition, other instruments could be added that the EU has meanwhile: it could exclude US providers from public orders, suspend patents or take US digital companies such as Meta, Google, Apple or Amazon with taxes. While the EU achieves a significant surplus in goods trading in the USA, it is reversed in services. However, consumers in Europe would also suffer from this that use clouds and IT services.
Germany as an export country at the forefront
Germany is particularly affected as the largest export country within the community. The Federal Association of German Industry supports Brüssel’s strategy of remaining willing to negotiate and stated that the EU was only able to act as a closed. The Association of the Automotive Industry sees a massive burden for companies and supply chains in the industry. Trump’s approach is not a “America First”, but “America Alone”.
Christoph Mestmacher, ARD Berlin, with reactions from Germany to the US tariffs
Really ready to negotiate?
According to the Leyen’s words, the EU also observes indirect consequences of Trump’s tariffs very precisely – if, for example, Europe is to be flooded with goods from countries that are also affected by the high US premiums.
Washington continues to offer negotiations. However, this formula sounds increasingly hollow. Because the US government has made it very clear that it is not interested in talking to Brussels. At the end of February, the EU foreign commissioner Kaja Kallas traveled to Washington and was transferred by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, supposedly for reasons of time.
EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic has spoken twice with his US colleague Howard Lutnick in the past few weeks-without tangible results. Sefcovic’s most recent visit was over when Trump announced new tariffs on cars and auto parts. He wants to try again on Friday. According to experts, however, the US President and his trade advisor Peter Navarro give the direction in the customs dispute and that is currently: no compromises.
Europe wants to show unity
European heads of government as well as MEP of various factions are calling for a quick and appropriate reaction and demanding unity. From the Leyen pointed out that the EU has 450 million consumers over the world’s largest internal market. The unity is our great strength, she said.
This was also referred to by the chairman of the trade committee in the EU Parliament, Bernd Lange. The EU Commission acts on behalf of the member states in foreign trade. According to long words, the economic interests of the member states and their supply chains are so interwoven that a country cannot simply break out.
“There is no clear way through the chaos”
US President Trump’s appearance in the Rosengarten of the White House was exactly choreographed and staged – a moment for which he had prepared the world for months. Already in the election campaign he threatened the EU and described it as an invention to harm the United States. After taking office, customs announcements were made, which were postponed at the last moment and then added later.
In her response to Trump’s recent announcement of Washington, commission chief of Leyen complained: “There seems to be no order in this disorder. There is no clear way through the complexity and chaos that are created because all trading partners of the United States are affected.” But the frustration sits deeper. The Leyen also speaks of Europe’s disappointment that one of the oldest allies turns away.
