The European Union (EU) in response to US 25 % duties on steel and aluminum imports will be introduced from 1 April to import US goods worth EUR 26 billion. This was announced on Wednesday by the head of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von Der Leyen. At the same time, the negotiations with the United States commissioned the Slovak Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič. TASR informs about this, according to a statement published on the EC website.
“This corresponds to the economic range of American duties. Our countermeasures will be introduced in two steps, starting with April 1, and full of April 13, ” clarified in a statement from the Leyenová. Increased duties announced by US President Donald Trump on the import of steel and aluminum came into effect on Wednesday, when previous exceptions, duty -free quotas and exemption of products expired.
“This measure is very sorry,” She said the EC President, saying that Brussels is launching a series of countermeasures in response to “unjustified business restrictions” by the US. According to her, the European Union is ready to conduct a meaningful dialogue with the American party.
As she added, She entrusted the European Commissioner Šefčovič to restore interviews to find better solutions to the US. Šefčovič visited the United States in February and Monday (March 10) that Trump’s administration apparently is not interested in averting the trade conflict with the European Union.
In a joint statement with von der Leyen The European Commissioner noted that the EU and the US business partnership is balanced and generates high profits for both parties. Especially in the area of steel and aluminum, on the import of which Trump has introduced 25 percent duties, according to Šefčovič, both parties face common challenges, such as excessive global capacities caused by non -drug practices.
“But you need both hands to applaud. The US administration has decided on a malicious course of unauthorized duties, so we have no choice but to respond – and that’s exactly what we do, ” stated. However, this situation can be avoided if the US is willing to cooperate with the EU to reach an agreement that would prevent the commercial war, Šefčovič added that it is ready to negotiate.
The EU will renew the currently suspended measures to re -balance the customs burden of 2018 and 2020 as a first step from next month. These focus on US goods exported to EU worth € 4.5 billion, including bourbon, ships or motorcycles.
The next step will be to take a new package of additional measures that apply to exports from US to EU worth EUR 18 billion. Brussels plans to consult with stakeholders over the next two weeks to help him create this package. It is The proposed target products include several industrial and agricultural products – including steel and aluminum products, textiles, household appliances, but also poultry, beef, eggs, dairy products, sugar and vegetables.
