The European Union is gearing up to present a unified stance in reaction to a new wave of U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, particularly targeting steel, aluminum, and imported automobiles. According to BlockBeats, the EU may soon approve countermeasures on select American imports—including items such as dental floss and diamonds—worth up to €26 billion ($28 billion USD).
The European Commission is expected to submit a list of potential U.S. products for retaliation to EU member states by Monday evening. These measures aim to directly address Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum, while a broader response to additional reciprocal tariffs—including those on automobiles—is also being prepared.
Luxembourg will host the first European Union-wide political meeting since Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement. Trade ministers from all 27 European Union countries will convene to assess the economic impact and coordinate a collective strategy. European Union diplomats emphasized that the bloc’s primary goal is to open a dialogue with the U.S. to reverse the tariffs, but they remain ready to implement countermeasures should negotiations fail.
Olof Gill, spokesperson for the European Commission on trade, outlined a two-part response:
1. An initial reaction targeting the steel and aluminum tariffs, currently progressing through internal EU processes.
2. A second, broader set of countermeasures addressing other new U.S. tariffs, which will be introduced following Trump’s expected announcement later today.
President Trump has scheduled a statement—dubbed “Liberation Day”—for Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Washington (10 p.m. Brussels time), where he is expected to formally unveil a 25% tariff on foreign-made cars, alongside additional reciprocal tariffs on European Union exports. The anticipated measures could escalate protectionist policies to levels unseen since the Great Depression, potentially disrupting global trade, straining the economies of America’s trading partners, and increasing consumer prices in the U.S.
In preparation for these developments, European Union Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is set to meet European Union ambassadors on Friday, followed by the meeting of trade ministers on Monday. Although Šefčovič recently held a six-hour discussion with top U.S. trade officials, the talks ended without progress, and no further meetings in Washington are currently scheduled.
Gill noted that the European Union’s response would be carefully timed, underscoring that Brussels intends to act decisively once the full scope of U.S. measures becomes clear.
