EU postpones introduction of tariffs against the US until mid-April

The European Union has decided to postpone the introduction of its first tariffs against the United States until mid-April. This decision was made in the context of the metal tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

This is reported by AgroReview

Initially, the EU planned to implement tariffs on American goods in two phases: on April 1 and April 13. Specifically, this included a 50% tariff on American alcohol. The European Commission proposed to impose tariffs on US products worth €4.5 billion starting April 1, and an additional €18 billion starting April 13.

Negotiations with the US and potential consequences

Currently, the EU is negotiating with the United States to reduce tariffs on imports of industrial goods. As highlighted by European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič, the EU is consulting with member states regarding the tariffs and sees slight progress in the negotiations. Therefore, it was decided to postpone the implementation of the first phase of tariffs.

It is worth noting that a month ago, Donald Trump signed an order imposing a 25% tariff on the import of steel, aluminum, and related products, which affected EU exports worth approximately €26 billion. The EU condemned this move, stating its readiness to respond if the US continues to impose new tariffs.

EU countermeasures

The situation has not improved, and on March 12, the European Commission introduced a series of proportional countermeasures against imports from the US, affecting a variety of American goods ranging from boats to bourbon and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In turn, the US president threatens to impose a 200% tariff on all wines and other alcoholic products from EU countries if the bloc does not lift tariffs on whiskey.