The European Commission proposed counter-tariffs of 25% on a range of U.S. goods on Monday, 7th of April, 2025, in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum, according to media reports.
The tariffs on some goods will go into effect on May 16, while others will begin later this year, according to a document viewed by Reuters.
The goods are wide-ranging and include diamonds, eggs, dental floss, sausages and poultry. The counter-tariffs on almonds and soybeans will take effect on December 1.
Maros Sefcovic, the European Union trade chief, said the counter-tariffs would impact less than the previously announced 26 billion euros.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen clarified the EU’s position, saying: “Europe is always ready for a good deal. We keep it on the table. But we are also ready to respond with countermeasures and defend our interests. We will also protect ourselves against indirect effects by diversifying our trade.” We have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods as we have successfully done with many other trading partners.”
Sefcovic said the zero-for-zero arrangement would be applied to chemicals, pharmaceuticals, rubber, plastic machinery and cars.
In addition to these counter-tariffs, the EU already tightened existing safeguards on steel on April 1 to reduce imports by 15%. The Commission is also looking at import quotas for aluminum.
EU member states are due to vote on this proposal on April 9.
Over the weekend, Trump’s unilateral 10% tariff on all imports from many countries went into effect, with U.S. customs agents beginning to collect.
The initial 10% “baseline” tariff took effect at U.S. seaports, airports and customs warehouses at 12:01 a.m. ET. Higher taxes on goods from 57 larger trading partners are set to start next week.
Trump’s announcement of the tariff on Wednesday shook global stock markets, cutting $5 trillion in stock market value for S&P 500 companies by Friday’s close, which marks a record two-day drop. Prices of oil and commodities also took a nosedive.
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