EU plans potential countermeasures on up to €95 billion of US goods
The European Commission announced on Thursday that it plans to introduce countermeasures on up to 95 billion Euros ($107.2 billion) of US imports, if negotiations with Washington were to fail to eliminate tariffs applied by US President Donald Trump, per Reuters.
Key takeaways
"EU list also includes 44 billion Euros of EU exports of steel scrap and chemical products for possible restrictions."
"EU to launch WTO complaint against US tariffs."
"EU to prioritise finding mutually beneficial and balanced solution with US."
"Proposed countermeasures would target US aircraft, alcoholic drinks, fish, cars and car parts."
"Proposed countermeasures would also target US chemicals, plastics, electrical equipment, health products and machinery."
Market reaction
EUR/USD showed no reaction to this development and was last seen trading virtually unchanged on the day at around 1.1300.
Tariffs FAQs
Tariffs are customs duties levied on certain merchandise imports or a category of products. Tariffs are designed to help local producers and manufacturers be more competitive in the market by providing a price advantage over similar goods that can be imported. Tariffs are widely used as tools of protectionism, along with trade barriers and import quotas.
Although tariffs and taxes both generate government revenue to fund public goods and services, they have several distinctions. Tariffs are prepaid at the port of entry, while taxes are paid at the time of purchase. Taxes are imposed on individual taxpayers and businesses, while tariffs are paid by importers.
There are two schools of thought among economists regarding the usage of tariffs. While some argue that tariffs are necessary to protect domestic industries and address trade imbalances, others see them as a harmful tool that could potentially drive prices higher over the long term and lead to a damaging trade war by encouraging tit-for-tat tariffs.
During the run-up to the presidential election in November 2024, Donald Trump made it clear that he intends to use tariffs to support the US economy and American producers. In 2024, Mexico, China and Canada accounted for 42% of total US imports. In this period, Mexico stood out as the top exporter with $466.6 billion, according to the US Census Bureau. Hence, Trump wants to focus on these three nations when imposing tariffs. He also plans to use the revenue generated through tariffs to lower personal income taxes.
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