A top European Union official has warned the United States that the world’s biggest trade bloc “holds a lot of cards” when it comes to dealing with the Trump administration’s new tariffs and has a good plan to retaliate if forced to.
US President Donald Trump has promised to roll out taxes on imports from other countries on Wednesday.
He says they will free the US from reliance on foreign goods.
He has vowed to impose “reciprocal” tariffs to match the duties that other countries charge on US products, dubbing April 2 “Liberation Day.”
“Europe has not started this confrontation. We do not necessarily want to retaliate, but if it is necessary, we have a strong plan to retaliate and we will use it,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU MPs.
The commission, the EU’s executive branch, negotiates trade deals on behalf of the bloc’s 27 member countries and manages trade disputes on their behalf.
“Europe holds a lot of cards, from trade to technology to the size of our market. But this strength is also built on our readiness to take firm countermeasures if necessary.
“All instruments are on the table,” von der Leyen said, at a European Parliament session on Tuesday in Strasbourg, France.
The commission already intends to impose duties on US goods worth some $US28 billion in mid-April in response to Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs.
The EU duties will target steel and aluminium products, but also textiles, home appliances and farm goods.
A lot remains unknown about how Trump’s levies will actually be implemented, notably the “reciprocal” tariffs, and the EU wants to assess their impact before taking retaliatory action.
“So many Europeans feel utterly disheartened by the announcement from the United States,” von der Leyen said.
“This is the largest and most prosperous trade relationship worldwide. We would all be better off if we could find a constructive solution.”
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