The European Union is readying additional counter-tariffs on US goods worth $84 billion in response to Donald Trump's decision to impose 30 percent tariffs on imports from the bloc, starting August 1.
Speaking after a meeting of EU trade ministers in Brussels on Monday, the EU trade commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, confirmed that the proposed tariff list had been updated and circulated among member states. While the original list, drafted in May, focused on industrial and agricultural goods amounting to $110 billion in import value, it has since been revised after consultations with member governments and industry representatives. Sefcovic did not disclose which items were removed.
The new list is in addition to a separate proposal to restrict EU exports of steel scrap and chemical products to the US worth $5.1 billion. Countermeasures covering US goods worth $24.5 billion have already been approved and will take effect if Washington does not lift earlier tariffs on steel and aluminium.
“We don’t want any kind of trade war. It is in no one’s interest,” said Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who chaired the meeting. “But of course, if we are met with tariffs, which are unfair, we should be ready to countermeasure this. If you want peace, you have to prepare for war.”
Sefcovic warned that Trump’s planned tariffs would severely disrupt transatlantic trade and supply chains. “There will be a huge impact. It will be almost impossible to continue trading as we are used to. It prohibits trade,” he said.
Despite the rising tensions, Sefcovic said the EU was still seeking a negotiated resolution. Talks with US counterparts are set to resume. “I cannot imagine walking away without genuine effort,” he said, adding that the EU was showing “enormous patience and creativity” to reach a solution.
As part of its broader strategy, the EU is also looking to deepen trade ties with other partners. Lokke Rasmussen pointed to the bloc’s trade agreement with South American countries and ongoing negotiations with Indonesia as key steps in diversifying commercial relationships.
Meanwhile, Trump on Monday opened the door to another potential trade conflict—this time with Russia and its allies—warning of 100 percent tariffs unless a peace deal is reached with Ukraine within 50 days.
