The European response was swift. No sooner had Donald Trump confirmed his intention to impose a 25% tax on steel and aluminum imports than the European Commission launched its "firm and proportionate countermeasures." While the Commission estimates that the new tariffs imposed by Washington will affect $28 billion worth of goods, Brussels has announced its intention to tax up to the same amount on imports of American goods (€26 billion).

The European Union (EU) "deeply regrets" the White House's decision, said Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission president. "Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and worse for consumers. (...) Jobs are at stake. Prices will go up. Nobody needs that – on both sides, neither in the European Union nor in the United States," she continued. According to the Commission's calculations, the new surcharges imposed by Washington will cost American importers €6 billion.

During his first term, Trump had already increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, but only by 10%, and this measure did not concern processed products. At the time, the Commission took retaliatory measures, on bourbon and Harley-Davidsons, which did not all have time to take effect. At the end of 2021, after the election of Joe Biden, Brussels and Washington had put their trade dispute on pause, hoping to reach an agreement before March 31 this year. They failed to do so.

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