EU to Retaliate Against Trump's Metal Tariffs – Paris
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has announced that Brussels will respond to Trump's recently imposed levies on all steel and aluminum purchases. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has stated that the EU will take reciprocal actions if US President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to raise tariffs on metal imports.
This statement follows Trump's announcement of a 25% levy on all steel and aluminum imported into the United States, which would be in addition to existing tariffs.
“There is no hesitation when it comes to defending our interests,” Barrot commented during an interview with TF1 on Monday, noting that Trump's announcement didn't catch them off guard.
“It is exactly what Donald Trump did in 2018, and at the time, we responded,” he said, referencing the tariffs put in place by Trump during his first term. “So this time, we will respond again in the same way.”
Barrot highlighted the “quite impressive list” of US products previously affected by the EU's counter-retaliation measures, mentioning items such as motorcycles like Harleys, jeans, tobacco, corn, rice, orange juice, and bourbon.
The European Commission has emphasized that it will “determine the sectors that will be targeted by the countermeasures, when the time comes,” with Barrot stressing that “the time has come.”
The tensions between Washington and Brussels have been escalating since 2018, when Trump imposed a 25% tariff on European steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum, citing national security concerns. In response, the EU implemented retaliatory tariffs on products including Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Levi's jeans. Trump further intensified the situation by threatening tariffs on EU car exports, although those were never carried out.
In addition to these measures, Trump recently announced 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico and Canada and 10% on imports from China, citing issues related to illegal immigration and drug trafficking. However, these levies have been delayed for 30 days pending discussions with Mexican and Canadian leaders, who agreed to improve border protection measures. Last week, Trump also paused a significant aspect of the tariffs on China, temporarily maintaining the duty-free status for small-value packages after his tariff decision led to delivery disruptions.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
This statement follows Trump's announcement of a 25% levy on all steel and aluminum imported into the United States, which would be in addition to existing tariffs.
“There is no hesitation when it comes to defending our interests,” Barrot commented during an interview with TF1 on Monday, noting that Trump's announcement didn't catch them off guard.
“It is exactly what Donald Trump did in 2018, and at the time, we responded,” he said, referencing the tariffs put in place by Trump during his first term. “So this time, we will respond again in the same way.”
Barrot highlighted the “quite impressive list” of US products previously affected by the EU's counter-retaliation measures, mentioning items such as motorcycles like Harleys, jeans, tobacco, corn, rice, orange juice, and bourbon.
The European Commission has emphasized that it will “determine the sectors that will be targeted by the countermeasures, when the time comes,” with Barrot stressing that “the time has come.”
The tensions between Washington and Brussels have been escalating since 2018, when Trump imposed a 25% tariff on European steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum, citing national security concerns. In response, the EU implemented retaliatory tariffs on products including Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Levi's jeans. Trump further intensified the situation by threatening tariffs on EU car exports, although those were never carried out.
In addition to these measures, Trump recently announced 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico and Canada and 10% on imports from China, citing issues related to illegal immigration and drug trafficking. However, these levies have been delayed for 30 days pending discussions with Mexican and Canadian leaders, who agreed to improve border protection measures. Last week, Trump also paused a significant aspect of the tariffs on China, temporarily maintaining the duty-free status for small-value packages after his tariff decision led to delivery disruptions.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
