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7 April – Brussels – The European Union is preparing a tough response to Donald Trump’s customs policy, which has hit the bloc’s exports to the United States. According to Reuters, the European Commission will submit to member states a list of US goods that could be subject to mirror duties worth up to $28 billion on Monday evening.
Europe is uniting
In the coming days, the 27 EU member states will try to present a united front to respond to Trump’s decision to impose:
– 25% duty on steel, aluminium and cars from the EU,
– 20% – for most other European goods.
In total, US duties already cover more than 70% of EU exports to the US, equivalent to €532 billion a year.
What will be at risk?
The list prepared by the European Commission includes American meat, cereals, wood, wine, clothing, as well as chewing gum, dental floss, vacuum cleaners and toilet paper. All these products may be subject to additional duties in response to US trade aggression.
The position on bourbon was particularly controversial: Brussels is considering a 50% duty, to which Trump is threatening to respond with a 200% duty on European spirits.
The geopolitics of trade
If the duties are imposed in the coming days, the EU will become the third major player after China and Canada, which have already responded to the US escalation in trade.
While no official decision has been made yet, Brussels hopes to demonstrate unity and economic resolve to Washington. This could be a key test for the bloc’s internal cohesion – and at the same time another step towards a global trade confrontation.
