EU delays tariffs on U.S. goods till mid‑April in trade row
The European Union will delay the implementation of the first set of tariffs on U.S. goods until mid-April, a spokesperson for the European Commission told CNBC.
On March 12, the U.S. president imposed increased tariffs of 25% on foreign steel and aluminum. In response, the European Commission announced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods worth €26 ($28) billion.
The European Commission plans to initially reinstate tariffs from the first Trump presidency era, targeting American alcohol, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and jeans—products primarily made in Republican-led or key electoral states. Following that, they intend to impose new tariffs on goods such as beef and sugar.
“The EU must act to protect businesses and consumers,” said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The Commission has decided to align the timing of the two sets of EU countermeasures against U.S. 232 tariffs on EU steel and aluminum, a spokesperson for the European Commission told CNBC.
He added that the retaliatory tariffs will be implemented in mid-April. This adjustment is slight and does not reduce the impact of our response, especially as the EU continues to prepare for retaliatory actions up to €26 ($28) billion, he assured.
