European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday she would impose “firm and proportionate” countermeasures against the U.S. in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
“Tariffs are taxes — bad for business, worse for consumers,” von der Leyen said in a statement. “Unjustified tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered—they will trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures.”
She said the EU “will act to safeguard its economic interests” and protect workers, businesses and consumers.
Trump placed a 25% tax on foreign steel and aluminum in an effort to allow local producers to work without intense global competition, which allowed them to charge higher prices. They are expected to take effect on March 12.
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Trump imposed similar tariffs during his first term, but the move damaged relations with key allies and drove up costs for manufacturers that purchase steel and aluminum.
When he first imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in 2018, the EU retaliated by placing tariffs on Harley-Davidsons, jeans, lighters, cranberry juice and bourbon, according to POLITICO. Tensions between the two sides later deescalated, and the tariffs were suspended.
The president has now expanded his steel and aluminum tariffs to cover all imports, which effectively cancels earlier tariff deals with the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan, among others, POLITICO reported.
Von der Leyen was scheduled to meet Vice President JD Vance later on Tuesday during his visit to Europe.
The EU’s top trade official, Maroš Šefčovič, criticized the new tariffs as “a lose-lose scenario.”
“By imposing tariffs, the US will be taxing its own citizens, raising costs for its own business, and fueling inflation,” Šefčovič told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, noting that they would have “disruptive effects” on the global trading system.
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“We are currently assessing the scope of the measures announced overnight,” Šefčovič added. “[We] will be responding in a firm and proportionate way by countermeasures.”
The EU is the third-largest source of steel and aluminum combined for the United States, according to POLITICO.
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