Its countries will seek to present a single front in the coming days against US President Donald Trump’s duties, possibly approve of a first set of targeted countermeasures in imports of up to $ 28 billion, reports, reports.
Such a move would mean that the EU would unite with China and Canada in imposing retaliation for duties in the United States, in an early escalation of what some fear will develop into a world trade war. This development will make the goods more expensive for billions of consumers and push economies around the world into recession.
The block of 27 countries faces 25% import duties for steel, aluminum and cars and “mutual” tariffs 20% for almost all other goods.
Trump’s duties cover about 70% of EU exports to the United States – totaling € 532 billion ($ 585 billion) last year – while also having duties for copper, medicines, semiconductor and timber.
Selected countermeasures – What US products will be found on the EU target
The European Commission, which is responsible for coordinating the Union’s commercial policy tomorrow Monday, will propose to Member States a list of US products that will impose extra duties-not as a universal response-but as selected countermeasures.
The list includes American meat, cereals, wine, wood and clothing, as well as chewing gum, dental yarn, vacuum cleaners and toilet paper.
A product that has received more attention and has caused a strong controversy at 27 is Bourbon. The Commission has predicted a 50% duty, which prompted Trump to threaten 200% to EU alcoholic drinks if the block proceeds.
France and Italy wine exporters have expressed their concern.
The EU, whose economy is largely dependent on free trade, wishes to ensure that it has widespread support for any answer to put pressure on Trump to finally start negotiations.
In Luxembourg with the aim of section
Luxembourg will host Monday the first political meeting at the EU level following the announcement of sweeping duties by the US president.
The Ministers of Commerce of 27 Member States will discuss the impact of Trump measures and appropriate answers, in an effort to maintain unity and determination of the European attitude.
EU diplomats said that the main objective of the meeting is to provide a single message that they want to negotiate with Washington to lift the duties, but that they are ready to respond to countermeasures if it fails, it reports Reuters.
“Our biggest fear after Brexit was the bilateral agreements and the split of unity, but through three or four years of negotiations this did not happen. Of course, we have a different story here, but everyone can see interest in a common commercial policy, “said a European diplomat.
Different views
Among EU members there is a range of views on how to react. France has said the EU should process a package of measures that would far exceed duties, and French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested that European companies have suspended investment in the United States until things were “clearing”.
Ireland, whose almost one -third of exports is heading to the United States, called for a “thoughtful and measured” response, while Italy, the third largest EU exporter in the US, questioned whether the EU had to pay for the blow.
“This is a difficult balance. The measures cannot be very mild to bring the United States to the negotiating table, but not too hard to lead to escalation, “said an EU diplomat.
Talks with Washington to date have not yielded fruit. EU trading department leader Maros Sefcovic described the two -hour exchange of views with his US counterparts on Friday as “honest” as he told them that US duties were “harmful, unjustified”.
EU initial countermeasures, in any case, will be voted on Wednesday and will be approved, unless-which is unlikely-a special majority of 15 member states representing 65% of the EU population voting against them.
They will come into force in two stages, with a small part on April 15 and the remaining one month later.
Commission President Ursula von der Laien will also have separate discussions on Monday and Tuesday with Managing Directors from the steel, automotive and pharmaceutical industry, to evaluate the impact of the duties and decide.
